Left to right – Raymond and Betty Ballacer, Wendy and Ed Sikora, Celes and Enah Isidro, Father Sarce
Introducing the St. Charles Parish Marriage Preparation Team
Accompanying Engaged Couples Toward a Joyful, Faith-Filled Life Together
The time leading up to a wedding is often full of excitement—engagement celebrations, venue decisions, invitation lists, and endless details that fill calendars and minds. Amid these joyful and busy moments, it’s easy for couples to lose sight of the heart of their vocation: preparing not simply for a beautiful wedding day, but for a holy and lasting marriage.
At St. Charles Parish, we believe that preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage is essential. This process invites couples to step out of the busyness and into a time of grace—reflecting on what truly matters, deepening communication, nurturing spiritual growth, and strengthening their relationship with one another and with the Lord. The months of engagement are not just a countdown to the big day; they are the beginning of the lifelong journey of living your vocation as a married couple.
A Team Dedicated to Journeying With You
We are delighted to introduce St. Charles Parish’s Marriage Preparation Team, a group of dedicated married couples who are active in parish life and who joyfully accompany engaged couples through a process rooted in faith, mentorship, and community.
Our fully integrated marriage catechumenate process is designed to support couples step-by-step as they prepare to enter the Marriage Covenant.
Drawing from trusted and time-tested Catholic marriage preparation resources, our program offers a comprehensive and personal approach to preparing for a strong, faith-filled marriage.
What Couples Can Expect
1. Personal Welcome & Mentor Support
Couples begin with a welcome meeting to discuss the joys and stresses of wedding planning, and the deeper importance of preparing for the sacrament. Together, we get to know each other. Based on this introduction, we assign a mentor couple who will accompany them throughout preparation, providing guidance, support, and a witness of Christian marriage in everyday life.
2. Formation Sessions That Strengthen Your Relationship
Over several months, engaged couples participate in sessions that address:
Communication and conflict in healthy, faith-centered ways
Prayer and spiritual development – individually and as a couple
Intimacy and family life, building the domestic church
Finances and stewardship
Faith foundations and the meaning of sacramental marriage
These sessions give couples the chance to step away from wedding details and to focus intentionally on their future together.
3. A Meaningful Retreat Experience
As the wedding approaches, couples join the team and our parish clergy for a retreat that includes speakers, time for reflection, and planning their wedding liturgy. This helps couples ground the final preparations in prayer and peace rather than stress.
4. Support Beyond the Wedding Day
Marriage doesn’t end at the wedding altar—and neither does our support. Newly married couples continue to receive encouragement through gatherings, mentor check-ins, and invitations to parish ministries that help them stay connected and supported well into their first year of married life.
Walking With Couples Into a Grace-Filled Future
Marriage is a beautiful calling—a lifelong journey of love, sacrifice, joy, and deep companionship with God at the center. Our Team looks forward to meeting each engaged couple, praying with them, supporting them, and helping them build a firm foundation to carry them into the years ahead.
We can’t wait to be part of your journey.
Whether you’re newly engaged or beginning to plan your future together, we are ready to walk with you.
For more information or to register, please contact the Parish office and we will follow up with you. stcharls@mymts.net or 204-889-3248