Marriage Preparation Retreat - Feedback and Experience

[hwriggles4]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

For those of you who are engaged, married, or are in a serious relationship that is leaning towards marriage, I wanted to ask if any of you attended an Engaged Encounter Weekend (or something similar, such as a diocesan Marriage Preparation retreat or Pre-Cana weekend). I thought a CAF would be good to share some experiences.

Friends who have attended have shared with me both positive and negative things. Personally, I think the success often depends on the crew that is giving the retreat that particular weekend.

Here are some positives:

• One couple shared with me there were good discussions on things like finance and conflict resolution
• Some had discussions on why cohabitation and ABC are not good ways to begin (and sustain) a marriage
• There are times couples want to have some personal time alone
• The information shared on cohabitation is a good message, but part of the problem is 50% of the couples in attendance are already cohabitating.
• There is emphasis on having things such as “date night” with your spouse, and making time for each other. After having children, it’s good to arrange a “date night” once a month or so. My own parents told me this was a success in their marriage.

Here are some negatives:

• Some retreats did not mention NFP. However, more recent attendees have told me NFP is getting mentioned more often, and some priests (and some dioceses) now require NFP as part of marriage prep
• Not enough men are involved in giving the retreat. The men there need to hear feedback from men.
• One couple who attended one back east around 2007 shared on Catholic Radio that their team was like a throwback from the 80’s, and there was too much “touchy feely” and “life is all peaches and cream”. I hope this mentality is going away.
• Some couples that attend are not interested in being there, and this makes it harder for the couples who want to be there

For those who want to share feedback, please do so. I think this will help other couples decide what marriage prep they would like to do. My parish does a superb job with Sponsored Couples, and there are some places where a priest can assist the couples with marriage prep.

Part of the problem with marriage today is too many couples concentrate on the wedding details, and marriage prep is often started after the wedding date is set. My brother is recently married to a lovely Catholic woman, and at their wedding I liked how the priest (who knows them) emphasized at the end that, “The Wedding has ended, but the Marriage is just beginning.”

Thanks in advance.

 

[JakeWI]

We have been married almost a couple of years, and went through the marriage prep as I am Catholic and my wife is Lutheran. We got married in her Lutheran church, but the prep was needed for me to attain a dispensation. What was interesting about it all, is that this started Jessica on the path to converting (which she is in a couple weeks). It was a marriage retreat day, not an entire weekend. They did talk quite a bit about NFP, communication, etc. It was well worth the money for us, and especially for my wife in seeing what Catholicism is all about… not what she thought it was.

 

[cradlecatholic5]

started Jessica on the path to converting (which she is in a couple weeks

AWESOME! My husband is in RCIA and will be received into the Church Easter 2015.

Praying for you and Jessica.

Praise God!:extrahappy:

 

[cradlecatholic5]

I went through Pre-Cana in the 70s.

I can only hope this Marriage Prep is waaaaay better than Pre-Cana conferences.