Initial contact to schedule and prepare for marriage must be done a minimum of six months prior to the wedding date the couple has chosen. At least one of the couple must be Catholic and a member of our parish community to be eligible to have the wedding at St. Pius X. Preparation consists of meetings with the pastoral minister, liturgical coordinator, music minister and the priest or deacon who will witness your marriage. In addition to these meetings, you will need to complete a couple communication evaluation and attend one of the following: Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend, participate in the the Couple to Couple Ministry, or attend our “Today and All the Days of Your Life” marriage preparation class.
Marriage Contact Person: Karyn Haider 406-281-8500
Engaged Encounter
Engaged Encounter is a weekend for the two of you to spend together planning a lifelong marriage, not just a wedding day. It is led by a volunteer team of two married couples and a priest, sister or deacon. In conjunction with other engaged couples, you will experience presentations by the facilitating team, personal sharing and reflection time, along with open couple discussion. It is a very memorable time for the two of you and is best completed as early in the preparation process as possible. Should you choose this method of preparation, it will be necessary to schedule a series of meetings with the pastoral minister to review the couple communication evaluation.
Couple to Couple Ministry
The Couple to Couple Ministry is a series of sessions with a married couple from our parish community who have been trained to assist engaged couples in preparation for marriage. The meetings usually take place in the home of the married couple, and are scheduled at your and their convenience. In the sessions you will review the couple communication evaluation and also discuss materials from a preparation book. The time you spend with the married couple will allow opportunities to explore marriage in all its facets in a caring and supportive atmosphere. This preparation should also be completed as early in the process as possible.
Decision to Love
The “Decision to Love” preparation class is a chance to participate in a small classroom setting to learn about all aspects of marriage. These are a series of evening classes held once a week for three weeks. The program is led by a volunteer member of our parish who has been trained in marriage preparation and the theology of marriage. This class gives the couple opportunities to share together, as well as with the group, about the vocation of married life. The communication evaluation review will be conducted separately should you choose this method of marriage preparation.
You may choose any one or all of these preparation programs and it will be your responsibility, as a couple, to ensure that the preparation process is completed in a timely and thorough manner. Should any questions or concerns come up during your preparation please contact the pastoral minister for assistance.
Retrouvaille
The word Retrouvaille™ (pronounced re-tro-vi with a long i.) is a French word meaning rediscovery. The program offers tools needed to rediscover a loving marriage relationship. Thousands of couples headed for cold, unloving relationships or divorce have successfully overcome their marriage problems by attending the program.
The Retrouvaille Program consists of a weekend experience combined with a series of 6-12 post-weekend sessions over 3 months. It provides the tools to help put your marriage in order again. The main emphasis of the program is on communication in marriage between husband and wife. It will give you the opportunity to rediscover each other and examine your lives together in a new and positive way.