Back
Preparing couples for marriage is an important—and evangelizing—ministry of the Church. In your role as a minister in the marriage formation process, you will accompany couples and invite them to discover the dignity and beauty of marriage with Christ as the center and foundation of their union.
Marriage in the Lord: Forming Couples for a Sacramental Marriage provides marriage ministers with fully prepared formation sessions in order to facilitate discussion with engaged couples preparing to be married in the Catholic Church. Designed to be used along with the couple’s booklet, Marriage in the Lord: A Catholic Formation Resource, this facilitator’s guide will help you to enrich the couple’s spiritual life and to encourage their active participation in the life of the Church. This resource includes:
- Five formation sessions corresponding to each session in the couple’s booklet
- Facilitator’s preparation guidance
- Suggestions for facilitating conversation with adults
- Sample texts and conversation sparkers
- Questions for discussion
- Scripts for opening and closing prayer rituals
- Appendix for leading wedding liturgy preparation workshops
Facilitators and Couples may access a password protected website that includes supplemental materials that will help couples prepare for marriage formation and their wedding liturgy. This set of ten videos may be used during formation sessions and the liturgy preparation workshop or sent to couples. The videos include interviews with other married couples who share insights about their own marriage, their wedding celebration, and address the following topics:
- The Meaning of Christian Marriage
- The Importance of Marriage Formation
- What Is Liturgy?
- A Life of Prayer
- A Life of Discipleship
- The Wedding Liturgy: A Sign of Unity
- The Wedding Liturgy: The Entrance Procession
- The Wedding Liturgy: Music
- The Wedding Liturgy: Within or Without Mass
- The Wedding Liturgy: Scripture Readings, Prayers, and Blessings
This resource may be used in a variety of ways from day-long formation events and weekend retreats to meetings with sponsor couples. Suggestions for adapting the material to your diocesan or parish needs are included, and additional materials and videos are provided on a supplemental website.
Liturgists, music directors, pastors, and wedding coordinators will appreciate the appendix with session guides, preparation forms, and videos which will help them lead wedding liturgy workshops with couples. This worshop presents best practice according to the Order of Celebrating Matrimony. It will help parish communities and couples prepare wedding celebrations that engage the whole community.
Marriage in the Lord: Forming Couples for a Sacramental Marriage provides you with all the tools needed to facilitate a dynamic and meaningful formation experience for all those preparing to be married in the Catholic Church.
Permission to share digital materials with couples is limited to the facilitator who purchased the resource. Dioceses and parishes will need to purchase a facilitator’s guide for each leader to legally share digital materials with couples in marriage formation.
The authors include Leisa Anslinger, Corinna Laughlin, Danielle A. Noe, and Michael Ruzicki.
