Preparation

2012 Marriage Preparation Brochure

Welcome to Marriage Preparation in the Archdiocese of Omaha!

The steps involved in preparing for marriage in our Archdiocese are meant to help you better understand and say yes to the vocation of marriage, not only on your wedding day but throughout your life together. Marriage in the Catholic Church is a sacrament, a visible sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Like all sacraments, Baptism, Confession, Confirmation, Holy Orders etc., there is a time of preparation required to prepare one's soul to receive the grace, the free gift of God's life, available through the sacrament. Just as you are planning the details of your wedding and the beginning of your married life, the Church has planned a program of education and prayerful reflection to help you receive everything the Sacrament of Marriage has to offer. Research indicates that those who take part in a marriage preparation program have longer lasting marriages and experience more ease in adjusting to the many life changes that occur in the early years of marriage. Couples who thought they had already discussed all the important issues regarding their relationship are often surprised to discover areas they had not yet fully discussed, or perhaps not discussed at all, prior to taking part in an organized process of preparation for marriage.

As you begin your preparation, please take a few minutes to watch a video by Archbishop George J. Lucas who will welcome you to the marriage preparation process, and share his thoughts on the importance of marriage and your decision to be married in the Church.

The Archdiocese of Omaha policy requires a minimum of six months for marriage preparation. However, as soon as you are engaged you are strongly encouraged to contact your parish. As you continue with this process, we recommend that you refer to or print out a copy of the current marriage preparation brochure which corresponds to the timeline for your wedding date. In order to complete the requirements for marriage preparation in the Archdiocese of Omaha, all couples must follow steps one through five listed in the brochure and outlined in more detail in the links on the left side of this page.