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Marriage Prep

Convalidation 101: Four questions answered

April 27, 2021 Fr. Charles Fox The Dispatch 4Print

“Convalidation” comes from two Latin words and means that a couple is getting married “with validity.”

A convalidation celebrated by two baptized Christians is a celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, one of the Church’s seven sacraments, all of which are gifts given to us by Jesus Christ so that we can share in God’s life and grow closer to Him. The only difference from any other sacramental marriage is the circumstance under which this marriage is being celebrated, i.e. after a civil marriage ceremony has already taken place.

With the appropriate permission, a convalidation can also occur between a baptized Catholic and a non-baptized person. Such a marriage would be valid but non-sacramental.

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”Pastors of souls are obliged to ensure that their own church community provides for Christ's faithful the assistance by which the married state is preserved in its Christian character and develops in perfection. This assistance is to be given principally: by personal preparation for entering marriage, so that the spouses are disposed to the holiness and the obligations of their new state”… (Can. 1063)

Marriage is a life-long commitment. It is probably the most important commitment of your entire life. We see too many broken families and the increasing rate of divorces to remain indifferent. You want your Marriage to last and to be strong. You do not want to have just a functional marriage, but you want an extraordinary one. You want to commit in full knowledge of what marriage is all about, especially in the Catholic Church.

It takes years of studies for a priest to be ordained and fulfill his vocation. Marriage also is a vocation. It needs to be prepared in order to last. "So that the “I do” of the spouses may be a free and responsible act and so that the marriage covenant may have solid and lasting human and Christian foundations, preparation for marriage is of prime importance.” CCC 1632

“It is the desire of the Catholic Church to be present and accompany couples from the time they begin their marriage preparation and continuing throughout all the phases of life. In order for this to be possible, we see the necessity of preparing the bishops and all pastoral ministers: priests, religious and lay, to accompany these couples and these families. We must also call upon teams of professional laypersons to help us in this work.” Bishops of the Americas 18 February 2004

Marriage preparation must begin at least 6-12 months prior to a couple's anticipated wedding date. This must be checked with your specific diocesan requirements.

The very first step is to make an appointment with your priest. He will let you know what the requirements of your diocese are concerning marriage and will help you fill out the necessary papers. Then you will be able to start preparing for the sacrament through a manageable series of meetings and educational workshops.

- Complete a marriage preparation inventory (PREPARE). This tool is designed to assess the strengths of your relationship and areas that may need growth. Depending on your parish, you may also meet with a married mentor couple to help you review the inventory.

- Participate in Natural Family Planning Classes. Check with your parish or the Office of Marriage and Family Life of your diocese to register.

- Attend a specific Marriage Preparation course as offered on this site.

- Depending on your diocese, you might be required to participate in a specific weekend retreat.

- Finally, about a month before your wedding, you will need to meet with your parish team to finalize the preparation of your ceremony. You will discuss the details of the liturgy and your choice of readings with your priest or deacon. Plan also to meet with your parish music director and the marriage coordinator.

Many dioceses around the U.S. and even around the world have adopted CatholicMarriagePrep.com.

CatholicMarriagePrep.com is the fruit of many years of approved practice in the Archdiocese of Denver where it started in 2004. It is even more complete and thorough than live classes thanks to the one-on-one teaching and the possibility of linking you to so many different valuable resources available through the Internet.

The program is taught one-on-one with an instructor couple who follows you personally throughout the course. You have the opportunity to discuss each and every topic in private, to ask all your questions to your instructors, and to work at your own pace in a three months time frame.

At the end of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion for your wedding file.

Our Teaching Approach

Our one-on-one method is Progressive, Gradual, and Deeper:

• Progressive: Each assignment builds on the previous one.
• Gradual: We meet couples where they are and help them advance.
• Deeper: We revisit topics to explore them more thoroughly.

We use a heuristic approach:

• Couples think and search for answers before receiving Church teachings.
• This encourages engagement and openness to Catholic doctrine.
• The process involves a searching phase and a personalized answer key.

Our method is personalized:

• Instructor couples review and respond to each answer individually.
• Engaged couples can ask questions on any topic.
• We provide resources or counseling when needed.

This approach fosters meaningful growth, as reflected in our weekly reviews.