Option A: Parish Marriage Preparation Programs
Some parishes offer marriage preparation programs (also known as "pre-Cana"), usually in the Fall and Spring. These programs vary in format [one-day, weekends, meetings with mentoring couples, etc.]. The Family Life Office does not have a list of parish marriage preparation programs. To find a parish program, talk to your priest first. If your parish does not offer marriage preparation classes, contact parishes in your area to see which ones do: Archdiocese of Philadelphia Parishes.

Option B: Archdiocesan Regional Marriage Preparation Program
 Preparing for the Vocation to Marriage

This is a large group program held on four separate evenings. Because the emphasis is on the couple themselves and their discernment regarding the sacrament of Matrimony, it still provides a personal and prayerful experience of marriage preparation.

Session 1: Christian Marriage: Covenant and Sign of God’s Love
Session 2: Called to Communion: Communicating in Truth and Love.
Session 3: Christian Marriage: A Vocation to Fruitfulness.
Session 4: The Mission of Marriage.

Sessions begin at promptly at 7:00pm and end at 9:00pm. Cost is $195 per couple.

Click here for schedule and registration information

Option C: Archdiocesan Weekend Retreat
Encounter Christ, the Source of Christian Marriage
The weekend retreat offers engaged couples a special opportunity to be together, and to encounter Christ through prayer and reflection. The goal of the weekend is to more firmly establish your relationship “in the Lord.”  The retreat takes place at the Family Life Center of the Malvern Retreat House.  For information about this retreat and how to register, click here.

Option E: Preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage, Weekend Commuter Retreat
This "commuter retreat" (weekend program with no overnight stay) is held Friday evening and all day Saturday at the St. Peter Claver Center in Philadelphia. This program is ideal for those couples who wish to have a weekend retreat experience for their marriage preparation.

Online registration for Option B, Option C or Option E