2.2  Responsibilities of the Archdiocese

Goal: To provide a variety of marriage preparation opportunities that meet the needs of engaged couples.

Guideline: Provide marriage preparation programs facilitated by competent members of the faith community who bear witness to a Christian vision of marriage.

Discussion: The couples who approach the Church seeking marriage are from a variety of cultures, and speak a variety of languages. There is no single program that can fully address the rich cultural diversity that is present in the Archdiocese. Therefore a variety of programs for marriage preparation has been developed and made available for the engaged. These programs respond to the “real life” issues faced by modern couples in an archdiocese as large and culturally diverse as Chicago.

Using up-to-date research from studies, e.g., “Marriage Preparation and Cohabiting Couples” from the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Marriage and Family, and Creighton University’s “Marriage Preparation in the Catholic Church,” the Archdiocesan programs for marriage preparation reflect current trends and needs. Ministry teams present programs centrally for the Archdiocese at sites throughout Cook and Lake Counties, and locally at parishes. The Archdiocese conducts training sessions for parish marriage ministers.

At the first session, once a rapport is established with an engaged couple, the priest, deacon, or pastoral associate should make arrangements for a premarital inventory, i.e., Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study (FOCCUS). The premarital inventory helps the engaged couple recognize their strengths and weaknesses in important areas of married life. This tool is best used early in the preparation process, since it will enhance their experiences in subsequent steps. The Archdiocese recommends FOCCUS and will frequently provide facilitator training for use of this premarital inventory.

At the first session, the priest, deacon, or pastoral associate should arrange with the engaged couple time to take the FOCCUS premarital inventory. After the FOCCUS, the couple and minister will decide in which of the marriage preparation programs they are to participate. Appendix D lists the various options of marriage preparation programs. Appendix E outlines an archdiocesan strategy for FOCCUS for parishes without trained facilitators.