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Supporting Each Other |
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Marriage Preparation: North-East Berkshire Fidelma & I started helping out with St Joseph's Maidenhead Marriage Preparation course about 2 years ago & we are now running all the courses until Father Tom can find some additional help. The Parish Secretary (Terry Mellor - 01628 783988) keeps a record of couples who are getting married in the Parish, checks Fidelma's & my availability & then schedules the courses - seeking to ensure that all couples have a course they can attend at least 3 months before they actually get married Currently the Parish runs 3 or 4 courses each year depending on the number of couples getting married. Each course caters for a maximum of 8 couples and runs over three weeks - normally on a Thursday evening with each session lasting 90 minutes between 8pm & 9:30pm. The 3 sessions are: Week 1 – Expectations – What do couples expect from their marriage – What do they imagine/hope married life will be like. Week 2 – Communications – The importance of effective communication in marriage including dealing with conflict. Week 3 – Commitment – Looking at the vows that the couples will be making – Exploring what they mean & how they are viewed by the couples – An outline of what the Catholic Church teaches about marriage. Within the course we use a range of materials to encourage dialogue between the couples - sometimes one to one with each other & sometimes in open dialogue with the group (always being respectful of desires for privacy & never forcing anyone to talk openly to the group unless they wish to do so). We include white boarding sessions to draw out the reasons why the couples are getting married, what their expectations of marriage are (collectively & individually), what conditions make for good/bad communication & why they have chosen to get marriage in church etc. For materials we make use of the "His & Hers Marriage Preparation Questionnaires" published by the Redemptorists along with several others which are simply photocopies - such as:- - The 3 Way Mirror exercise (Me yesterday, Me Today, Me Tomorrow) - God, Me & My Partner - In My Childhood (questions on each person's experiences of family life & relationships) - How well do I know my partner, how well do I know myself & how well does my partner know me Some of the materials are left with the couples to complete during the week, before the next session to promote continued discussion focus between sessions. In the Communications session we also use 2 videos:-
Finally in session 3 we spend time on each of the vows that will be made during the marriage service - exploring the meaning of each in some depth. At the end of each 3 week course we ask the couples for feedback on what they thought of the course, how it compared to any pre-conceptions & if they found it useful/helpful & raised questions that they had not discussed with their partner before. We also ask for input on any areas they would like to have spent more or less time on. Based on the feedback we have received the course seems to work well in achieving its objectives of ensuring that couples: have thought through the reasons they are getting married; have discussed their hopes & expectations; recognise the importance of open communication; have a constructive approach to recognising/resolving conflict and acknowledge the sanctity of marriage & the importance of how children are raised as Catholics. Maidenhead St Joseph
Grant and Fidelma Price Tel: 01628 671095 Email: grant@ grantprice.co.uk |
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