Pre-Cana Registration

The Church rejoices with you as you approach the Sacrament of Marriage and we all wish to support you in living your married life to the fullest. In many ways, today’s culture can work against your commitment to a healthy, lifelong Christian marriage, but the greater Church can offer some lasting support through our marriage preparation program options.

Pre-Cana (or Marriage Preparation) is a course or consultation for couples preparing to marry in the Catholic Church. A chance to discuss important topics like family, finances, and conflict resolution and a wonderful way to learn about the religious, spiritual, and practical aspects of marriage. This is a way for an engaged couple to discover and deepen their faith and receive needed direction as they also prepare for their wedding.

Now, throughout the year, Saint Miriam offers couples an ongoing virtual building blocks program with which to form a solid foundation for your marriage. We also provide the spiritual resources, practical tools, and counseling opportunities couples need for a strong and healthy marriage.

We Offer Two Options at for Pre-Cana

1. A Comprehensive Full Program of Pre-Cana:

We recently partnered with The Marriage Group to offer a virtual extended, comprehensive unit of PreCana followed by Prepare/Enrich which is included in our Pre-Cana at no extra cost! This program can be completed at your leisure over an extended period of time, or all at once (taking an average of 8 hours to complete all modules).

An additional option is to be ‘guided’ by a mentor from the parish in conjunction with a learner’s guide!

Following the conclusion of the program you will receive a Completion Certificate and a Couple’s Report. Additionally, your clergy will receive a Facilitator Report that overviews all areas of the program and you can then schedule a personal meeting to discuss, if desired.

Note: These courses are promoted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and accepted by dioceses and parishes worldwide. The Marriage Group also is a member of the Catholic Family Life Association.

Option 2: An Abbreviated Program of PreCana:

An abbreviated version of our Pre-Cana Program also takes place via an online portal followed by the submission of a Pre-Marriage Questionnaire. In return you receive feedback via a Marriage Action Plan (MAP) and a meeting with a priest to go over the results, if desired. Following the conclusion of this program you also receive a Completion Certificate.

Both Pre-Cana programs cover in varied lengths the following topics:

  • Relationship Dynamics
  • Strength and Growth Areas
  • Spirituality, Faith
  • Family Dynamics
  • Children and Family Planning
  • Finances
  • Human Sexuality, Sex, Intimacy
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Communication