Marriage Preparation
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You will begin preparing for marriage as a couple with your presiding priest. These preparation sessions will be arranged with your priest. In addition to meeting with your priest, you will also participate in our FOCCUS program and the Archdiocese’s Marriage Enrichment Conference.
FOCCUS Program
You and your intended spouse will meet several times with a married couple from the parish. Your FOCCUS couple will facilitate free and open discussion between you and your fiancé about various topics pertaining to marriage. A couple trained in this process will call you a few months before your wedding to schedule a meeting. Your FOCCUS couple will inform the parish coordinator when you have completed the process so that we can update our records. If you have any questions about the FOCCUS process or have not been contacted at least 3 months before your wedding date, please contact your presiding priest.
Archdiocesan Marriage Enrichment Conference
Attend a Marriage Enrichment Conference for the Engaged. An Enrichment Conference for the Engaged is an opportunity to help you to continue to reflect on your relationship, your faith, and the life-long commitment of marriage. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee offers day-long and weekend-long options for this component of your marriage preparation. Please return the certificate you receive at the Enrichment Conference to the parish office so it can be added to your marriage file. Participation in this conference is mandatory. You can register for the seminar on the following website: https://www.archmil.org/MarriagePreparation.
Necessary Paperwork
Submitted by you:
- Baptismal Certificates: Please present a newly issued certificate of Baptism to the parish office. Simply call or write the church where you were baptized and ask them to send the newly issued certificate to the presiding priest you are working with. If you are Christian but not Catholic, then present a photocopy of an original baptismal certificate to the parish office.
- Enrichment Conference Certificate of Completion: Please submit this certificate to the parish office.
- Marriage License: Your marriage license is obtained from the office of the Milwaukee County Clerk and should be brought to your wedding rehearsal. Please see the following link for information about Wisconsin’s laws regarding marriage and the timeline and fees associated with obtaining your marriage license: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/County-Clerk/Marriage-License. Remember to bring your marriage license to the rehearsal — the wedding cannot take place without it!
Submitted on your behalf:
- Completion of FOCCUS Program: Submitted by your FOCCUS couple
- Preparation Paperwork: Submitted by your priest preparing you for marriage
Before the Wedding
All Catholics being married in the church are strongly encouraged to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation before their wedding celebration. You can discuss this with your presiding priest.