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Marriage Preparation
Pre-Cana
St. Joseph Church
2935 Kingston Rd.
York, PA 17402
(717) 755-7503
Contents
A Wedding is a Day...
But a Marriage is a Lifetime!
During the next several months, you and your partner will
be making a covenant to spend the rest of your lives together.
You have many preparations to make before your wedding
day -- from setting the date and informing your families, to buying special
clothes and sending out invitations.
The Catholic Church wants to help the two of you with the
most important of these preparations -- your spiritual preparation for a
lifelong commitment.
To ensure that all engaged couples understand the
sacramental meaning to the Catholic wedding ceremony, the Diocese of
Harrisburg requires couples to complete a Pre-Cana session and Marriage
as a Sacrament seminar.
Pre-Cana is presented by married volunteers who share
experiences from their marriages. They will lead you through exercises
designed to generate discussion between you and your partner about subjects
you may or may not have already discussed. Through these discussions we hope
you will learn something new about each other and gain a greater
appreciation of each other’s different attitudes and beliefs.
Pre-Cana is held in 1½ days (Friday evening,
Saturday day) at St. Joseph Parish Center. It includes workbook activities,
private discussion, and small group discussion.
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St. Joseph Church Pre-Marital Checklist
When a couple decides to get married, it is a time of grace and growth. It is also a
time of many details and some anxiety. The Church desires to help couples prepare
themselves to live this sacrament and to celebrate their marriage with dignity and joy.
This preparation is required for all Catholics who intend to get married, even if the
marriage is at a non-Catholic church. The priests of the parish are happy to answer
specific questions about Church theology, policies, and practices on marriage. The
following is a summary of the specific steps of marriage preparation.
Step 1: The couple contacts the parish. This must be at least 9 months
before any wedding. The couple and the priest must agree on the wedding date, and the
church must be reserved far in advance. There are several weddings now scheduled for
2002, so it is never too early to plan. Avoid renting a hall or making other
commitments until you have spoken with the priest and confirmed the date, time and place
of the wedding. At the first meeting, the priest will outline the preparation process,
and make sure that the rest of the preparation will go smoothly.
Step 2: Take a survey called "FOCCUS"
(Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding & Study) and discuss the results with the
priest. This survey helps the couple to identify the areas in which they agree, and the
areas that will be challenging to them in their married life. Most couples find that
FOCCUS is a helpful tool to promote honest communication of their hopes and fears.
Step 3: Participate in a marriage preparation weekend with the parish
Pre-Cana team, with a parish mentoring couple, or with an Engaged Encounter
program at least six weeks before your wedding.
These programs are designed to raise questions for discussion between the couple, and to
share the experience and wisdom of the married couples. Register as
soon as possible.
Step 4: After attending Pre-Cana, participate in a diocesan presentation on "Marriage as a
Sacrament". This is done at the diocesan level and is scheduled through the parish
office. This year, it is held at St. Joseph Church Parish Center.
Step 5: If you and your partner practice different faiths, try to visit the
clergy of both churches. Be sure to bring up any questions you may have
about your own or your partner’s religious practices.
Step 6: Plan the liturgy for your wedding with the help of priest or clergy.
NOTE: If you intend to request a priest other than one from the
parish, or if you request the presence of a minister or rabbi, the pastor's approval
will be needed.
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Documents Needed by Priest for a
Catholic Wedding
- Baptismal & Confirmation Certificates
- FOCCUS completion Certificate
- Pre-Cana and Marriage as a Sacrament or the Engaged Encounter Certificate
- Two witnesses verifying freedom to marry (not required in all cases)
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Civil Requirements
- Marriage License: There is a 3 day waiting period for all licenses. The license is valid for
60 days.
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Miscellaneous Info
Pre-Cana begins at 7:30pm Friday evening and continues at
9am Saturday, ending with Mass Saturday evening.
Pre-Cana covers seven topics:
- Communication
- Past
- Family Origins
- Sexuality
- Children
- Finances / Family Living
- Spirituality
Throughout the sessions, couples do workbook exercises
that help them discover differences and similarities in their backgrounds.
There is a break for lunch and dinner (both included with your fee). After
discussing the exercises privately, you will participate in a small group
discussion, facilitated by married volunteers. The day ends after 5pm Mass.
Pre-Cana for St. Joseph Parish is held at the parish
center:
2935 KINGSTON RD
YORK PA 17402
(717) 755-7503
Directions to the church
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2009 PreCana Dates
February 13/14, 2009
March 13/14, 2009
April 17/18, 2009
June 26/27, 2009
August 14/15, 2009
October 9/10, 2009
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Marriage as a Sacrament
All engaged couples wishing to be married in the Diocese
of Harrisburg are required to attend this seminar.
Please see the Diocese of
Harrisburg's Web site for details on registration
Diocese
of Harrisburg's Marriage
Preparation Page
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How to Register
THIS REGISTRATION FORM IS FOR PRE-CANA ONLY.
- Cost: $75.00 per couple...covers materials, meals, and snacks.
- Print the PreCana registration form and then fill it
out completely.
- Choose which dates (above) fit your schedule. List 2 dates in order of preference.
Dates will be filled based on wedding date and first-come-first-served basis.
- Send a check for $75 made out to: St. Joseph Church.
You should receive written confirmation of your registration after you send in the
form. Call Binky if you do not receive a confirmation letter. Do not
show up for the Pre-Cana program without receiving confirmation.
If you must cancel: call immediately so we can register another couple in your
place. We cannot guarantee that you will be rescheduled.
Any Questions? Please call (717-755-7503) or email Binky
Theodore.
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