Pre-Cana Ministry

Pre-Cana ministry is a parish-based effort that uses the gifts, talents, wisdom and experience of married couples and often deacons and priests to provide instructional classes for engaged couples who are preparing for Catholic marriage. Couples who get involved in Pre-Cana ministry begin to see their marriage as a true vocation of service as they give witness to the reality of the promises they made before God, family and their faith community – “I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”

The married couples and individuals who serve on parish Pre-Cana teams play a crucial role not only in preparing engaged couples for marriage, but also in the life of the parish community. When Pre-Cana team couples accept the missionary role of evangelization, they realize that their job as witnesses to the beauty of Catholic marriage is also to patiently but purposefully invite engaged couples into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the richness of the sacramental life of the Church. Marriage ministry is all about evangelization! As we proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to others, we become disciples and apostles ourselves. How wonderful for our marriage – how wonderful for the glory of God!

The goal of marriage preparation in the Diocese of Trenton is to prepare couples for the joys and challenges of daily married life, and to help them understand that Catholic Marriage is unique among other marital relationships because it is a sacrament that makes Christ present in our world. 

In his Apostolic Exhortation, “The Joy of Love,” Pope Francis reminds us that “the complexity of today’s society and the challenges faced by the family require a greater effort on the part of the whole Christian community in preparing those who are about to be married… (there is a) need to involve the entire community more extensively by stressing the witness of families themselves and by grounding marriage preparation in the process of Christian initiation by bringing out the connection between marriage, baptism and the other sacraments.”

Pope Francis also states that “the timely preparation of engaged couples by the parish community should also assist them to recognize eventual problems and risks… they should be strongly encouraged to discuss what each expects from marriage, what they understand by love and commitment, what each wants from the other and what kind of life they would like to build together.

The Importance of Married Couple Witness

The current guidelines for marriage preparation for the Catholic Church in New Jersey also emphasize the importance of the witness of married couples in the marriage preparation process:  

“Experience has proven the value of the witness of married couples, who live their vocation in light of the Gospel, in preparing couples for marriage. When married couples speak out of their own conviction and from personal experiences about God, Church, love, commitment, sacrifice, forgiveness, prayer, stewardship and service, they offer a powerful witness. Married couples who serve in this capacity find that their encounter with the engaged enriches and strengthens their own marriages. Pastoral wisdom warrants that these successfully married couples should form the core of a marriage preparation team. 

Toward this end marriage preparation programs will strive to make ample time and space for the engaged couple’s reflection and discussion, and for dialogue with those serving on marriage preparation teams. It is important to encourage the couple’s on-going dialogue throughout the marriage preparation process.”

The Pre-Cana conferences we offer in the Diocese of Trenton are designed to help engaged couples prepare for the everyday challenges of lifelong, sacramental marriage. Through married couple witness presentations, private couple dialog and group interaction, the Pre-Cana experience helps couples develop better relational skills, including healthier ways to communicate and resolve conflicts. The spiritual components of the conference strengthen and nourish the faith of participants, enabling them to joyfully embrace their new vocation of marriage.

There are a few different ways to get involved in Pre-Cana ministry. If your parish has an active Pre-Cana ministry, simply reach out to one of the members of the team or speak to your pastor.

If your parish doesn’t have an active team and you have the genuine desire to serve, you may be able to join an existing parish team in your area, or join the diocesan marriage preparation team. To learn more about serving on a nearby parish team or the diocesan team, contact the Department of Evangelization and Family Life (609-403-7156 or phensler@dioceseoftrenton.org).

If you’d like to start a Pre-Cana ministry or a Marriage Ministry team, speak to your pastor or call the Department of Evangelization and Family Life.

Married couples who serve on a parish Pre-Cana team or the diocesan Marriage Ministry team must be approved by their pastor and attend the required Pre-Cana team training offered by the Department of Evangelization and Family Life at various parishes throughout the diocese. Contact the Department of Evangelization and Family Life (609-403-7156) to find out the next available Pre-Cana team training.

The Department of Evangelization and Family Life offers a Pre-Cana team training workshop that is required for all who serve on parish Pre-Cana teams, the diocesan Marriage Ministry team or the To Trust Again Remarriage Ministry Team.

The training is two sessions (3 hours each) offered over the course of two evenings or as a one-day course on a Saturday or Sunday.
 

Session One

A general formational session that includes the following topics:

 

• Overview of Marriage Preparation in the Diocese of Trenton
• Understanding Millennials
• Key Marriage Concepts – what Pre-Cana team couples need to know about Family of origin, marital communication, Sexual intimacy, couple prayer, NFP, cohabitation, and interfaith marriage
• Core Requirements of Pre-Cana sessions

 

Session Two

The practical, hands-on segment on how to conduct Pre-Cana sessions using the approved Before “I Do” Marriage Preparation Series.

 

It is recommended that Pre-Cana team couples see themselves as lifelong learners and continue a course of self-study of various Church documents and current articles on marriage, all available from the Diocese of Trenton, and www.foryourmarriage.org, a website packed with the latest articles and resources on Catholic marriage from the U. S. Catholic Bishops. Couples involved in Pre-Cana or other parish ministries are also encouraged to take advantage of the various adult faith formation offered by the Department of Evangelization and Family Life.

Pre-Cana Trainings are offered on a regular basis at the request of various parish Pre-Cana teams and are open to all Pre-Cana team couples.
 

To learn more about these workshops or to find out when the next Pre-Cana team training will be offered (or to schedule a training in your parish), contact Peg Hensler, Associate Director for Marriage Ministry and NFP, at 609-403-7156.