*Criteria set by the Irish Episcopate, regarding
courses preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage

1. The spirituality of marriage is central to marriage preparation. As well as drawing from human experience, the vision of marriage will be ...
   
   
2. The core elements of a marriage relationship should form the basis... choosing the sacrament, conflict management etc...
   
   
3. The emphasis should be on the couple and their needs. ... Couples should feel free to engage in any discussion as they desire....
   
   
4. Programmes should involve 9 facilitated hours of client contact, be multi-sessional, and delivered at a leisurely pace....
   
   
5. All programme facilitators should receive the highest standard of training, ideally, accredited by a Catholic institution....
   
   
6. Clergy Participation: Programmes should be co-facilitated by a team of laypersons and clergy, in promoting sacramental marriage...

   * Excerpted from a document of the committee of the Irish Episcopal Conference, to oversee and monitor marriage preparation courses. For information about these criteria, and which courses have been assessed so far, you may contact the committee chairman, at the Newman Institute, Ballina, Co Mayo. See their website.
   
   * Before choosing your pre-marriage course, check if your priest is aware of these new criteria or whether he
   might ignore them in practice. In either case, he will be interested to see that you have looked them up.

   Does any One-Day Course meet these Requirements?

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