Pre Cana

Congratulations on your decision to marry! It’s our pleasure to help you prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage.

What is Pre Cana? Pre Cana is an experience centered one-day program using various presentation styles in order to aid in the preparation of couples for the Sacrament of Marriage.

Who should attend? This program is intended for couples where both persons are entering marriage for the first time.

However, as couples ready themselves to spend the rest of their lives together and enter into the Sacrament of Marriage, it is our hope that they would want to do more rather than less preparation.  Because the Church cares deeply about you and your marriage, it is our hope that first consideration be given to attending our Journey to Matrimony as this is the preferred marriage preparation program of the diocese. 

Since Pre Cana just meets the minimum preparation requirements for the Catholic Church as well as the State of Florida, some priests, deacons, and parishes do not consider Pre Cana adequate preparation. Therefore, couples should refrain from signing up for Pre Cana unless they are certain it will be accepted by the clergy/parish preparing them for marriage.

What if one or both of us have been previously married? Since Pre Cana is geared toward those who are about to enter a marriage for the first time, regardless of circumstances if the bride and/or groom were previously married it is our recommendation that these couples attend the Remarriage Program.  While this is our recommendation, ultimately it is the decision of the priest or deacon preparing the couple who determines which program they should attend.  If the clergy you are working with didn’t discuss this option with you, we encourage you to contact them to see if perhaps this might better meet your needs. 

When should we attend? It is recommended that engaged couples complete this phase of their marriage preparation 3 or more months prior to the date of their wedding.

What if we are unable to attend the program together? We realize you are preparing for one of the most important steps you will ever take…marrying someone and committing yourself to them for the rest of your life!  In order to adequately prepare for your future together, it is always best when marriage preparation is done as a couple.