Manage your current sessions and contact information here. 

For supplemental resources:

• Real Life Real Love Toolbox
• God's Plan Toolbox.

The Marriage Preparation Program is in need of committed Catholic couples who are willing to share their marriage and faith with newly engaged couples. There are several ways you can serve:

1. As a Team-Couple for the Real Life, Real Love program.
2. As Facilitators for the God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage program.
3. As a Host Couple who works behind the scenes.
4. As Facilitators for the FOCCUS inventory.

Why Join?

• The impact of marriage preparation to the success of a marriage is statistically proven--it's important!
• Helping others with their marriages ultimately helps you have an even stronger marriage too, perhaps to a level of love and commitment you never dreamed possible! 
• Read what current Team Members have to say about it.
• U.S. Catholic article: Would You Volunteer to Save Your Marriage?

The Real Life, Real Love program is a witness and dialogue day led by a team of married couples and clergy/pastoral ministers sharing their experiences on key relationship issues including self awareness, communication, intimacy, and marriage as a faith journey. Engaged couples spend significant time dialoguing privately on these issues.

• Format: Witness sharing with reflection and dialogue opportunities for engaged couples..
• Length: One day, typically on Saturdays with some weeknight alternatives.
• Location: Hosted by parishes around the diocese.

What are the skills and experiences that would most benefit engaged couples as they prepare for marriage? Are you willing to share your experiences with them? If so, we need you to be part of the team!

Team Couple Commitments

• Develop two 10-minute presentations on topics through individual training with another married couple.
• Lead 2-3 seminars per year and participate in an enrichment opportunity.
• Fully embrace and promote the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Catholic Church, in particular the Church's teachings on marriage, human sexuality, and contraception.

Training for New Couples

New Team Couples are usually trained with another new couple by a seasoned Team Couple. The couple prepares two presentations over a 1-2 month training period that can be scheduled according to their personal, work, and family needs. A training manual is provided that describes the procedures for the day and guidance on how to write the presentations.
 

Have you been influenced by St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body? Are you willing to respond to the Church's urgent need to strengthen marriages? Are you confident of the beauty of the Church's teachings on marriage and sexuality and willing to boldly confront the culture's contraceptive mentality?

The Diocese of Madison is blessed to have the God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage program that clearly lays out the Church's teaching on marriage and sexuality. The world is in great need of an authentic understanding of what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God, to love as God loves, to entrust your marriage to the Designer of Marriage. The program uses the Theology of the Body to lay a foundation for the Church's understanding of marriage and love and provides practical insight into how married couples can live the gift of love honestly, in accordance with our marriage vows.

• Format: Teaching seminar with reflection and dialogue opportunities for engaged couples.
• Length: One day, typically on Saturdays with some weeknight alternatives.
• Location: Hosted by parishes around the diocese.

We are in need of individuals and married couples to facilitate the God's Plan program throughout the diocese. Will you join us?

Facilitator Commitments:

• Complete God's Plan Facilitator Training and develop two 30-minute presentations with a trained facilitator.
• Lead 2-3 seminars per year and participate in an enrichment opportunity.
• Acquire a working knowledge of Theology of the Body and ability to teach, dialogue, and answer questions (not required before training - not expected to be an expert!)
• Fully embrace and promote the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Catholic Church, in particular the Church's teachings on marriage, human sexuality, and contraception.

Training for Facilitators

Training begins with a Friday night through Saturday session that covers basics of marriage preparation in the diocese and program methodology. Trainees then meet according to their own schedules with an existing facilitator to practice training methods and prepare for first God’s Plan session.

Thank you for your registration!

Many couples want to help but aren't quite ready to lead a day - whether they are not sure of the time commitment or their comfort level with leading.  A great way to "check it out" is to be a host couple and help with setup and meal arrangements for sessions at the Bishop O'Connor Center in Madison. In particular, help is needed for the weekend retreats. To get involved, contact the Marriage Preparation Coordinator.

FOCCUS is an internationally used inventory designed to provide engaged couples and those working with them a personalized profile of what is needed in their marriage preparation process. Many parishes around the diocese use this diagnostic tool, and it's a great way for engaged couples to form mentoring relationships with experienced married couples. You don't need to be perfect, just willing to share your marriage and your faith! Contact your parish to see if you can be involved in FOCCUS.