CEE Marriage Preparation
ABOUT THE WEEKEND
We just got engaged!
What’s next?
We want to get married in the Catholic Church….where do we start?
The first thing to do is to contact your Parish/Diocese or Clergy for information.
They will identify the key requirements for getting married in the Catholic Church. These requirements will include going through a marriage preparation course.
What is CEE Marriage Preparation?
Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEE) provides Diocesan-approved, quality preparation for marriage in a weekend retreat format. CEE gives couples the opportunity to discover the deep meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage within the Catholic Church. CEE exists in various dioceses in Canada and in many other countries.
Presentations
Catholic Engaged Encounter is presented by a team of two married couples and a priest or religious, all of whom relate their personal experiences to encourage the engaged couples to examine their own relationship.
Writing / Reflecting
After each presentation, couples separate to reflect individually reflect on the topics discussed by the presenting couples and answer in writing the questions in the workbook provided by CEE.
Dialogue
After writing, time is given for the couple to share privately and discuss their answers to the questions in their CEE workbook.
Build Foundation
CEE offers couples a unique experience of marriage preparration focused on building a closer unified relationship through communication and based on Catholic Christian values.
Who should attend?
The weekend is for engaged couples who have a definite commitment to each other and who are considered “free to marry” according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. It is primarily for couples being married in the Catholic Church; including Catholic couples, mixed marriages and interfaith couples.
“We built deeper insights into each other and the sacrament of marriage. Enjoyed having meaningful conversations and listening to personal stories from the presenting couples.”
Weekend Content Outline
Understanding Myself
Reflect on what each of you are bringing to the marriage by exploring the similarities and differences in personality type and upbringing with the goal of learning to share your true self with your partner.
Is Romance Enough?
Build good habits around making the decision to love and understand that unity is the true goal of marriage.
Are we really communicating?
Explore the barriers to open communication that may arise as a result of human nature.
Learn about the art of communication including active listening, reading body language, communication styles and looking past the words to understand the feelings of the other person.
Managing Conflict
Take the time to consider how to handle arguments when they arise. You’ll be asked to review the most common guidelines to manage conflict and determine what you need to do to resolve any differences of opinion you might have.
Creating a Life-giving Marriage
Learn what it means to be life-giving – no longer seeing marriage as a 50:50 proposition, but as giving 100 percent. Life-giving means trying to find ways to give to the relationship and becomes a proactive way of living.
Decisions in Marriage
Review how decision-making is a process of discernment that involves planning, prayer, advice, evaluation, is always based on common values. Learn how to consider the consequences of your decisions and to make sure what you decide is in concert with God’s law as well as being life-giving to their relationship.
Financial Fidelity
One of the greatest areas of conflict in marriage is money. Review critical questions that you might not have had the courage to ask.
Two Become One - Unity in Marriage
Hear personal stories that illustrate how God’s plan for the vocation of marriage is more fulfilling than the secular world view of marriage and that the true goal of marriage is unity.
Natural Family Planning
Learn the basic information about how Natural Family Planning works, how it helps your marriage, and why using NFP is in accordance with Catholic teaching.
Intimacy in Marriage
Learn how important it is to have all the types of intimacy. Only after we become intimate intellectually, emotionally and spiritually can we feel the oneness in mind, spirit and body that God intends for our sexual intimacy.
Becoming a Family
Use this time to start developing your own family values and traditions as a couple – all based on the previous conversations.
Rap Session / Open Discussion
Open Discussion session, where any question can be asked anonymously and everyone discusses it together.
Forgiveness in Marriage
Discover the process of forgiveness and how it leads to healing and culminates in reconciliation in marriage. Now is an opportunity to share your vulnerability and forgive each other.
The Sacrament of Matrimony
Review how you become a sacrament on your wedding day, and that the beauty of living out this sacrament is manifested in your everyday lives. Remember that “A wedding is a day…. A marriage is a lifetime.”
Betrothal
Assess where you are in your preparation for a sacramental marriage and state what you need to do individually and as a couple to prepare and make a commitment to work on your relationship with each other and God.
Stewardship: A Way of Life
Recognize your gifts and generously share them with your parish, and community.