Congratulations! Together you have decided to begin a great journey of love. The Christian community of St. Joseph’s
rejoices with you and your families and friends on your decision to be married.

Marriage Preparation
The Church has certain laws and guidelines that a couple must follow in order to prepare for the Sacrament of Matrimony. These include contacting the parish at least six months in advance to begin the preparation program. The Diocese of Rapid City format for marriage preparation includes, the FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) program, Catholic Engaged Encounter, Christian Family Planning Seminar, and basic instruction from the priest or marriage preparation couple. At St. Joseph, each couple is also given a copy of the Marriage Is For Keeps handbook to be read by each of you, during your marriage preparation.

FOCCUS is not a test, but a questionnaire designed to facilitate couple discussions. The FOCCUS subjects you will be discussing fall broadly into the categories of communications, commitment, conflict resolution, children and church. Its purpose is to allow you time to think about and discuss issues that will affect your life together, as a married couple. The hope is that you will come away with a deeper realization of the wonder and mystery of the sacrament of marriage, and a deepening of your relationship and commitment to each other.

Catholic Engaged Encounter is a weekend away that gives an engaged couple the opportunity to examine their prospective lives together. The Engaged Encounters are held throughout the year at St. Martin’s Monastery in Rapid City.

Christian Family Planning classes present information about modern methods of using the body’s natural signs of fertility, to enable a couple to achieve or avoid a pregnancy. All classes are scheduled on a Saturday from 9:00 am—12:00 noon once a month throughout the Diocese.

What Happens Next?
When the results from the FOCCUS arrive at the church, you may start your basic review and instruction of your FOCCUS from the priest or marriage preparation couple. These meetings take about 4 months; meeting about once a month.
The parish secretary you will be asked to provide a current copy of your baptismal, First Communion and Confirmation certificate. These can be obtained by calling the churches from which in which you received these sacraments and may be sent directly to St. Joseph.

If a Catholic is marrying a non-Catholic, the Catholic partner is required to declare his or her intention, to continue practicing the Catholic faith, and to promise to do all in his or her power, to share that faith with children born of the marriage, by having them baptized and raised as Catholics. The non-Catholic partner is not required to make a declaration or promise, but he or she must be informed of the declaration and promise made by the Catholic.

Check out these links:
For Your Marriage - Website by the US Catholic Bishops for preparing and caring for marriage
A Basic Theology of Marriage - an article by Christopher West