Pre-Cana Retreats, Tobit Weekend and One in Christ program prepare engaged couples for marriage

Criterion staff report

Three marriage preparation programs offered in the archdiocese—the Pre-Cana Conference, Tobit Weekend and One in Christ—help prepare engaged couples for the sacrament of marriage as well as the challenges of married life.

Early registration is recommended for all programs, as each fills up quickly.
 

Pre-Cana Retreats cover skills for marriage, a catechesis on the sacrament of marriage and an introduction to the science and morals behind natural family planning. They are offered in English.

Two Pre-Cana retreats are scheduled in the archdiocese as follows:

—Sept. 19 and 20 at the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center, 1400 N. Meridian St., in Indianapolis, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. each day, $200 per couple, register by Sept. 8.

—Feb. 6, 2027, at St. Augustine Church, 315 E. Chestnut St., in Jeffersonville, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., $125 per couple, register by Jan. 27, 2027.

More information and registration are available at tinyurl.com/IndyPre-Cana. For questions, contact Claudia Corona at 317-236-7310 or ccorona@archindy.org.
 

Tobit Weekend retreats take place at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House, 5353 E. 56th St., in Indianapolis, and are offered in English. The cost is $400 per couple, which includes program materials, meals, snacks and two rooms for two nights.

The next retreat will take place on Sept. 25-27.

More information and registration are available at tinyurl.com/TobitSept2026. For Tobit retreat or registration questions, contact Lisa Coons at 317-545-7681 or lcoons@archindy.org.
 

One in Christ marriage preparation, which includes a medical panel to address questions on reproduction and fertility, involves an online

pre-seminar course ($99 per couple) and a three-day seminar ($300 per couple) spanning a weekend and the following Saturday. On Saturdays, the program runs from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and on Sunday it runs from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Meals and materials are included. Scholarships are available for those with financial difficulty.

There are two upcoming One in Christ opportunities: Aug. 8, 9 and 10, and Oct. 10, 11 and 31. Both will be held at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, 10655 Haverstick Road, in Carmel, Ind. (Lafayette Diocese).

To register, go to oicmarriage.org/seminar-info. For more information, including the possibility of financial assistance, call 317-600-5629, e-mail info@OICmarriage.org or go to oicmarriage.org.
 

Parish-led marriage preparation retreats in Spanish are available throughout the archdiocese. For a current list, go to tinyurl.com/PrematrimonialesEnEspanol.

Live retreats offer an invaluable experience for engaged couples and are the expected formation option.

However, for couples who experience significant difficulties attending a live retreat, including but not limited to preparing for marriage while out of state or country, being deployed in the armed forces or inflexible shift work at a hospital or factory,

the online and self-paced “Joy-Filled Marriage” course ensures that no one misses out on valuable and comprehensive marriage formation. It is available in English and Spanish, and the cost is $124.95.

For more information or to register, go to tinyurl.com/Pre-CanaOnline. †