INFORMATION
For Dioceses and Parishes

On the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, May 31st, 2012, Agapè Catholic Marriage Preparation received the Imprimatur from Bishop Michael J. Sheridan, Bishop of Colorado Springs.

On the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, May 31st, 2012, Agapè Catholic Marriage Preparation received the Imprimatur from Bishop Michael J. Sheridan, Bishop of Colorado Springs.

Our program is an online Catholic marriage preparation course designed to provide personalized guidance to engaged couples. Key features include:

• One-on-one instruction tailored to each couple's specific needs
• Ongoing written communication with trained instructors who accompany each couple throughout the entire course journey
• Flexible, self-paced learning within a 3-month timeframe for Normal Speed and 1 month for Urgent Care
• Private environment for couples to work together on marriage foundations
• In-depth discussion and reflection on essential topics
• Opportunities to ask questions and receive personalized answers from real people
• Primarily text-based curriculum complemented by select video clips, promoting deeper reflection and better retention, while illustrating key concepts.
• No scheduled meetings, allowing couples to learn on their own time

Established in 2004, our course is the only online, interactive, mentor-led Pre-Cana program available. This pioneering approach combines the convenience of online learning with the personal touch of dedicated instructors.

Our program is authentically Catholic, and deeply spiritual, grounded in Church teachings and sacramental theology. At the same time, it addresses practical aspects of married life by incorporating essential daily life skills. This balanced approach helps couples build a strong, spiritual foundation for their marriage, while preparing them for the practical challenges and joys of life together.

1. Theology of the Body Integration: The course is built upon, and deeply integrates, Saint John Paul II's Theology of the
2. Mentor-Led Approach: Each couple is paired with experienced instructors, who provide one-on-one guidance, offering personalized feedback, and challenging couples to reflect deeply on their relationship and faith.
3. Authentically Catholic and Christ-Centered: The program offers uncompromising Catholic teachings, focusing on evangelization and presenting the fullness of Church doctrine on marriage and family life.
4. Comprehensive Resources: Our website also offers a "one-stop shop" experience by providing access to additional resources such as Pre-Marital Inventories, as well as Natural Family Planning instruction. These complementary services, which require separate registration, allow couples to wholly prepare for their Catholic marriage.

Here's an overview of the course structure and timeline:

• The course consists of 7 main assignments and 2 short forms.
• Normal Speed Couples have up to 3 months to complete the entire program.
• Urgent Care Couples have up to 1 month to complete the entire program.
• Work is done at the couple's own pace, promoting in-depth discussion and reflection.
• On average, Normal Speed couples complete the course in about 6 weeks.
• The minimum time investment is approximately 20 hours of focused work.

The course follows a gradual process:

1. Couples work privately on one assignment at a time.
2. They submit their completed assignment for review.
3. Instructors provide personalized feedback in an "Answer Key."
4. Couples discuss the Answer Key together before moving to the next assignment.

This step-by-step approach ensures that couples thoroughly engage with each topic before progressing. Upon completion, couples receive a certificate, acknowledging their comprehensive preparation for marriage.

The course's flexible timeline allows couples to balance their preparation with other responsibilities, while ensuring they have ample time for meaningful dialogue and growth together.

• Theological 33%
• Sacramental 33%
• Life-skills 33%  

• $275.00 per couple.
• $375.00 per couple, for Urgent Care couples whose wedding day is within six weeks at most.
• $375.00 for Bilingual (English/Spanish or English/French)
• Military discount and scholarships are available.

Couples can add other services separately :
- Natural Family Planning (NFP) see websites for pricing
- Premarital Inventory (PMI) $65.00 (report is sent to the parish)
or
$130.00 (Skype review with a trained facilitator included).

Before registering, couples are invited to double-check that their preparing priest will accept the program.
If the priest is unfamiliar with Catholic Marriage Prep (CMP), the couple can provide him with the website address and show him the program's content. The final decision always rests with the couple's priest.
Many dioceses openly support the program; for reference view our map. Additionally, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) lists Catholic Marriage Prep as a valuable resource on their "For Your Marriage" website.

Never! Initially, years ago, priests and deacons primarily referred couples with special circumstances to our online program, such as those separated by distance, older couples, or those with challenging schedules. Now, many recognize the benefits of our program for all couples, not just as an alternative to live classes.

The online format allows couples more time and privacy to discuss and process each topic. It also provides access to additional internet resources. The program focuses not just on knowledge, but on a process of conversion that requires time.

Our live instructors customize the program for various situations:

• Convalidations and remarriages
• Couples with disabilities (including visual impairments and autism)
• Interfaith couples (Protestant/Catholic, Jewish/Catholic, or Muslim/Catholic)

We also have specialized instructor couples:

• Military couples who understand military life and the specific challenges that will be faced
• Instructors with diverse cultural backgrounds (e.g., experience with African, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and Jewish communities)
• Hispanic instructors for Spanish-speaking couples
• Vietnamese instructors for Vietnamese couples

Our instructor couples vary in age and background, allowing us to match engaged couples appropriately. For instance, more experienced instructors work well with older couples and those seeking convalidation.

This program can help parishes conserve their resources by referring overflow or challenging cases to us, ensuring each couple receives personalized attention.

You are welcome to schedule an appointment with our Outreach Team!
You can also call 800-208-1364 or send us an email: sales@agapecatholicministries.com

We also provide training for couples to become instructors who can teach live classes in their own parishes and dioceses. These classes mirror the content of our online course. The instructor training is conducted online and is available in English, Spanish, and French.

1. At the beginning of the course, couples can share their login credentials with their priest or deacon if they wish, allowing them to monitor the couple's progress.
2. Couples have the option to print their answer keys and review them with their priest or deacon.
3. Upon completion, instructors provide the couple's feedback to their priest or deacon.

This comprehensive feedback gives the clergy a clear picture of:

• The couple's stance on Catholic Church teachings
• Their willingness to follow these teachings
• Their interest in participating in parish life

This system ensures that the officiating clergy remains well-informed about the couple's journey through the marriage preparation process, while still respecting the level of privacy desired by couples.

Several strategies can help couples continue developing their faith after completing marriage preparation:

1. Parish Engagement:
   • During the course, we encourage couples to connect with a local parish and actively practice the Sacraments, making it their home-base.
   • We emphasize the importance of belonging to a parish community rather than remaining isolated.
   • Couples are challenged to explore what they can expect from and contribute to a parish.
2. Throughout the course, we recommend Catholic books, podcasts, and apps, that focus on marriage, family, and faith.
3. Couples are encouraged to download and retain their Answer Keys for easy reference at any time.
4. Alumni Newsletter:
   • Alumni can choose to receive a monthly newsletter that includes:
     • Life and faith tips
     • Parenting advice
     • Spiritual formation guidance
     • Answers to questions from couples
5. Ongoing Instructor Relationships:
   • Couples often develop strong relationships with their instructors during the course.
   • They are welcome to reach out to their instructors at any time after completing the program.
   • Many of these relationships continue for years, providing ongoing support and guidance.

This multi-faceted approach helps ensure that couples have resources and support available to them well beyond their initial marriage preparation.

“It revived our faith and inspired us to integrate our spirituality more deeply into our daily lives together.” -- Chris and Gabrielle

 “I thought this was going to be a boring class that instructors say the same thing to everyone, but no I was very wrong.” --Jorge and Lesley

 “Our instructors took the time to understand our responses and provided feedback that helped us understand the topic better.” -- Robert and Cecy

 “This 100% allowed for better communication and started discussions that maybe we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Even things we had discussed before this, were taken to a further depth.” -- Zachary and Alana

“We just want to thank you both so much and the AGAPE organization for this amazing experience, this is a milestone in our journey that taught us so much and is something we will never forget. We are so grateful for everything and will highly recommend this course to other couples embarking on their journey.” -- Alexander and Anika

"I feel very satisfied with the entirety of this course. I feel like I learned a lot about not only the Sacrament of Matrimony, but about what to expect from my marriage and how to be successful in it. I like the most recent assignment about the tools we may need for marriage and how to go about certain situations. I was not expecting to learn as much as I did. I also feel like I have grown in my relationship with God and with Josh throughout this process."

"We feel that we communicate better as a couple and we know where we need to work on.  It was also nice to be able to evaluate some potential situations that we might end up in and see how the proper way to handle them would be. Communication is something we like to really focus on as a couple so to be able to develop those skills from this course was great!" -- Joshua and Claire

Make sure to read some of the numerous testimonials we receive by clicking here.