Conflict resolution and communication are key components of a new wedding preparation course run by the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
Archbishop Leo Cushley said that the course, which was launched at a service in the church of St Francis Xavier at Falkirk last month, was directed toward the “rediscovery of the beauty of traditional Catholic marriage in a very positive, contemporary and open way”.
His comments reflect the findings of a recent Tablet survey in which the majority of respondents said that the best way for the Church to support marriage and family life was to run courses for married couples.
At the Falkirk service there was a special blessing for couples preparing for marriage, for couples renewing their vows and for those who have been charged with teaching the new archdiocesan programme. The archbishop said that the aim of the course was to create “happy and holy Catholic couples – it’s as simple and as exciting as that”.
Directed by Sally McElroy, the archdiocese’s marriage and family life co-ordinator, the new course replaces an existing programme that was not longer considered to offer “a strong enough catechesis on the sacrament of Marriage”.
As well as communication and conflict resolution, the new course also explores the spiritual dimensions of Catholic marriage. Many of the teachers on the course will be married couples of long standing.
“I hope engaged couples will hear something important and relevant to them at the beginning of their journey towards marriage but also that they get the chance to learn more as to what it means to make the big decision to get married in the Church and to set out in Christian married life,” said Ms McElroy.
At the same time, the archdiocese has launched a new counselling service for couples, called Archways. Ms McElroy described the two initiatives as “really two sides of the same coin. Whenever we say as a Church that we support marriage? Well, this is us actually doing it. Whenever we say we support family life? This is us actually doing it.”
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