Articles

Content for Catholic Marriage Ministry

The Latest

NFP: Guiding Couples Down the Path of Understanding
In the sacred journey of marriage preparation within the Catholic Church, one of the pivotal discussions revolves around…
Learn NFP
“Why are you making me learn NFP?”
It’s a question I get a lot in my capacity as the Director of Fertility and Life…
The 3 Scariest Letters of Marriage Prep: NFP
Such a monumental and life-changing event as a wedding deserves a significant amount of thought and planning to be sure!…

Interviews

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Reenergize Your Family Life Director

"As a priest and pastor, what can I do for my Family Life or Marriage Ministry Director?" If this is a question you have asked yourself in the past, then you are on the right track! It is not a secret to anyone that Family Life Directors are…

Cultural Sensitivity

Clergy

Ministry in a Multicultural Church Cultural diversity is a reality that touches not only our country but also the Church. Parishes have become a home to people from different cultural backgrounds. Today in our parishes, we find people who speak…

Networking With Fellow Family Life Ministers

Clergy

You Are Not an Island: The Value of Networking With Fellow Family Life Ministers Picture an island in the middle of the ocean. The words that come to mind when you think of an island may be: disconnected, isolated, lonely, independent. While…

How the Pandemic Changed Engaged Catholic Couples

Clergy, Clergy Marriage Prep

In 2022, we were blessed to serve over 6,000 engaged Catholic couples from 72 countries around the world. We recently reflected on the data collected from our course participants, and we saw a marked difference in a couple of key areas. As…

National Marriage Week Advice

Clergy, Couples

For National Marriage Week, we asked ministry leaders and married couples, "What is one important thing couples need to know in their first year of marriage?" Here are some of our favorite replies: One thing Mike and I have learned is that…

Red Flags in Marriage Prep

Clergy, Clergy Marriage Prep

The ministry of marriage preparation is a lot like driving a car; just when you think the road is smooth and straight and free of obstacles, you discover bumps, twists and turns, and, of course, traffic lights. Most of the time, we hope for…

Renew Your Spirit During the Holidays

Clergy

The Church offers us Advent and Christmas as a time to be refreshed and renewed, but if you’re a priest, deacon, or lay minister, the holiday season can feel overwhelming. How do you use this time to serve others and feel renewed in your…

Talking To Engaged Couples About Contraception

Clergy, Clergy Marriage Prep, Clergy NFP

Talking about contraception is an important part of marriage preparation. Contraception in its various forms has become the status quo for sexual relationships outside of the Church. Some Catholic couples either don’t know or don’t agree…

How to Get Couples Involved at Your Parish

Clergy

Who are your most active parishioners? Probably not your young couples. Sure, they come to Mass on the weekends. But beyond that? It takes all ages to make a community thrive. If you can tap into young couples’ energy and enthusiasm,…

Keeping Engaged Couples Catholic

Clergy

Here you go again. You’re working with a couple who hasn’t darkened the door of a church in years. You guide them through the marriage prep process, preside at their Catholic wedding, then watch as they carry on with their life journey leaving…

Three Things Engaged Couples Want to Know, But Don’t Ask

Clergy

You have an engaged couple who wants to get married at your church. Wonderful! As a pastor, you have lots of experience talking with people in various stages of life. However, this engaged couple does NOT have much experience talking with…

Theology and Spirituality of Marriage Topic

New Year, New Theology and Spirituality of Marriage Segment

Clergy

The Marriage Group is excited to announce a brand new Theology and Spirituality of Marriage segment to its popular online Pre-Cana course, Living Our Faith in Love! In this video series, Claudio Mora, Director of Catholic Programs, delivers the good news of marriage that is best lived — rooted and grounded in the foundations of Catholic faith — in a beautifully profound and approachable way.

Doing Ministry in Difficult Times

Clergy

As a ministry leader, you may be feeling lonely, tired, overworked, and lost. Doing ministry in these circumstances is not easy! Please know we are here to help you! You are not alone. Here are some ideas that you can implement now that you are trying to do more with less resources

Holy Week, Easter, and the Reality of Marriage

Clergy, Couples

When we think about this time in the Liturgical Calendar, Holy Week and Easter, we usually associate it with church services, long liturgies and rituals. We think of all this as something that happens ‘in church’ but we don’t see much…

National Marriage Week 2020

Clergy, Couples

Every year from February 7th to the 14th we celebrate “National Marriage Week.” What is National Marriage Week? It is a week dedicated to celebrate and support marriages in the United States and also in other countries around the world. “National…

Advent and Marriage Preparation

Clergy, Couples Marriage Prep

The name Advent (from the Latin word Adventus, which signifies a coming) is applied to the time of year during which the Church requires the faithful to prepare for the celebration of the feast of Christmas — the anniversary of the birth of…

Love is Thankful

Clergy, Couples, Couples Marriage Prep

How often do we remember to give thanks for the acts of love and kindness we constantly receive? How many times do we take for granted the love that surrounds us? The celebration of Thanksgiving comes into our lives once a year as a reminder…

A Fruitful Orientation at the USCCB

Clergy

October 8th-10th, several new Diocesan Directors of Family Life gathered at the Washington Retreat House in Washington, DC for an orientation that was put together by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and its Secretariat for Laity,…

Who is the Real Minister of the Sacrament of Marriage?

Clergy, Couples, Couples Marriage Prep

An important aspect about preparing for marriage in the Catholic Church is finding and selecting the priest who will preside over the celebration. Couples usually find the church first and, therefore, the priest who is at that particular…

3 Tips To Help Your Marriage Preparation Program

Clergy

“There are a number of legitimate ways to structure programmes of marriage preparation, and each local Church will discern how best to provide a suitable formation without distancing young people from the sacrament.” (Amoris Laetitia #207) As…

The Marriage Group Welcomes Claudio Mora to its Team

Clergy

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you.” There has never been a doubt in my mind that God has been guiding my steps throughout my life. His presence has been so clear…

Free eBook: Meeting Today’s Churchgoers Online

Clergy

We are offering a free eBook: Meeting Today's Churchgoers Online. This ebook discusses how to effectively communicate with your parishioners and attendees outside of the Church. Based on our previous blog post, you will learn to use Social…

Articles

The Latest

NFP: Guiding Couples Down the Path of Understanding

Learn NFP

The 3 Scariest Letters of Marriage Prep: NFP

Interviews

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