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By Remee Mallay
 My
name is Remee Mallay and my husband and I are one of the organizers for
the St. Agnes “In-Home” PreCana Program. We became involved with
PreCana about twelve years ago, when a couple stood in front of the parish
and told us about PreCana. Now, I would like to share with you the wonders
of the ministry of the St. Agnes In-Home PreCana Program.
Those
of us involved in PreCana are just like any other married couple. We do
not have a perfect marriage. In fact, we have found that there really is
no such thing as a “perfect” marriage. We are all just couples working
everyday trying to succeed at marriage.
Our
St. Agnes In-Home PreCana Program is a seven-week process that is offered
three times a year: January, April, and September. During the seven weeks
that our married couples work with the engaged, we open our homes and
lives to them hoping that each may learn from our married experiences.
Our
married couples host small groups of engaged couples in their homes for
four evenings during the seven-week schedule. The topics discussed cover
the wide range of everyday life: communication,
decision-making, sexuality, and spiritually. Each night focuses on
one topic and the open forum encourages all to share and participate.
The
other three classes during the session are held at St. Agnes Cathedral.
“The Opening” is the
first night of the program and is where we introduce the program to all
the engaged couples participating in the session and give an overview of
each night. The second, “Liturgy
Night,” is hosted by Michael Wustrow and is an information night
about planning the actual wedding day, including which reading to select,
what music to incorporate and much more. Whether the couple chooses a
sacramental service or a ceremony; this night is essential to the planning
of the wedding day. The final time at St. Agnes is the “Graduation”
ceremony. This is when the couples are invited to bring their family
and friends to join them at Mass to celebrate the completion of their
program. The couples receive a blessing and certificate, as well as warm
wishes on their lives ahead.
As
a married “Host Couple,” my husband and I find the In-Home PreCana
process exciting, stimulating, beautiful, and a time to focus on our own
marriage. It’s exciting to
observe a young couple discover something new about themselves. It’s stimulating to our own relationship to hear other couples talk about
their own communication skills as well as other aspects of married life.
It’s beautiful to have an
engaged couple thank you at the end of a program for what you’ve done
for them. Finally, it’s a time in our hurried, hectic, lives when he and
I can devote time to each other.
In
the ministry of PreCana, our overall purpose is to help the engaged couple
prepare for a marital relationship that will be a life giving, journey of
love, hope, and faith. We hope to help each couple understand that there
will be many twists and turns on this journey and that it is their
decision to love each other that will make their journey a beautiful and
successful one.
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The
Ag-neWs staff would like to take this opportunity to wish all
parishioners a holy lent and Blessed Easter!
Join
us Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23rd at 3PM to celebrate
this wonderful and blessed day. Look for announcements in the
bulletin for location! |
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