Catholic engaged encounter

Information for Clergy

CEE has been a world-wide successful marriage preparation program for many years due to the generous outpouring of grace from God and support from clergy and religious. CEE as a not for profit organization has always been in a close partnership with each diocese that it operates in.

Spiritual Guidance & Formation for Engaged Couples

CEE Weekends typically have a member of clergy or religious present. This is an important aspect of the CEE weekend. Clergy can provide the following key values to the weekend:

Teachings through personal experiences

Verification of the Church’s stance is on important topics

Spiritual Guidance and Confession

“I found that the CEE weekend’s significantly important contribution was the opportunity for the couples to ask very probative questions of one another about key dimensions of the Marriage Vocation and its beauty. Time is given for each to write personal reflections on questions posed and then to listen and discuss with their future partners. It reveals the life experience of each and the formation that up to that point has been theirs. The honesty called for, leads the couples ever deeper into knowledge of one another. Such communication is a wonderful skill set supporting growth in love.”

Rev. Fr. Eric Neilson

FAQ

How does CEE compare to the other marriage preparation courses that may be offered in our area?

CEE is a retreat-style weekend which covers all the core marriage preparation content required by the Vatican / Diocese. One of the biggest values CEE provides is the presentations from the couples and preist or religious sharing their personal experiences. Also, CEE includes a follow-up program that supports newly married couples 1-5 years after marriage which can be implemented in a parish.

Which couples should I refer to CEE?

The weekend is open to any engaged couple wanting to prepare for a deeper, more meaningful life together and who are considered “free to marry” according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. 

What is the registration process for the couples?

The couples simply need to fill out the registration form on this website – by locating their community page. 

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Contact the community coordinators or registration coordinators for the community – this information is available on that community’s page. 

Is CEE Approved by the Diocese?

Yes. CEE is a diocesan-approved marriage preparation course that satisfies the requirements for getting married in the Catholic Church. The program is offered world-wide and has been delivered for more than 50 years. (For more information contact your community.)

What topics are covered?

If you would like to present as part of a CEE weekend or to learn more about the outline of content, please contact your CEE community coordinator for more information.