On this past weekend when Pope John Paul 2 was beatified the Family Ministries Office held four marriage preparation programs that assisted over 100 engaged couples to prepare for marriage. Much of what is done in marriage preparation here in the Archdiocese of Chicago and around the rest of the world has been shaped by the teachings and writings of JP2. His Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, is really the foundational work that speaks to the need to properly prepare engaged couples for marriage.
Of our four prep programs, I had the opportunity to work with 24 engaged couples at the Cardinal Meyer Center. I shared with these couples the Catholic vision of marriage, the need for support from family, friends and their faith community and the need to develop the necessary skills for successful, lifelong marriage. And the couples really bought into the day. There were excellent insights and stories shared that made it easy for me to see these couples really want to have healthy, happy, holy marriages for themselves.
As these couples continue to prepare for their weddings that will be ocurring over the next several months, I encourage them and all engaged couples to pray for the success of their marriage through the intercession of Blessed John Paul 2.
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