Couples who want to be married at Roncalli Newman Parish are asked to participate in our preparation program. It is our sincere effort to help your relationship grow by deepening your readiness for marriage. As this will be one of the most important decisions of your life, a responsible choice for marriage can only be made after a good hard look at its demands, your abilities, and the insights your Catholic heritage brings to matters of love, married friendship, the blessings of children, and your calling to heal the world. Most couples find that beginning this preparation nine to twelve months in advance of the wedding is preferable.
Steps in the Process:
1. Request to have your wedding at Roncalli Newman Parish by contacting Fr. Billy Dodge.
When you approach the parish for marriage, you will be asked to make an appointment with the parochial administrator, Fr. Billy Dodge. He will want to get to know you, assess the appropriateness of your request, give you an overview of the preparation process, and, if it is appropriate, begin some of the initial paperwork. No wedding dates will be reserved in the parish calendar until this face-to-face meeting takes place, so please don't hesitate to contact Fr. Dodge or call the parish office (Sandy @ 608-860-6001) to request an appointment.
Please download, print, and bring the "Celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony at Roncalli Newman Catholic Church* (see below)
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2. Assemble important documents:
3. Complete the online FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) assessment. Fr. Dodge will set you up with the necessary information to access the online assessment. He or a married couple from the parish will then guide you through the FOCCUS assessment process. Regardless of what you may hear about "that marriage test," the FOCCUS instrument is not an examination you can flunk, and it is not designed to predict marital success or breakdown. The tool simply organizes your opinions and attitudes about your relationship in light of what has proven important for other married people. After one of the parish's FOCCUS couples has been assigned to you, it is your responsibility to contact them and then follow through with the three, four, or five appointments needed to review the instrument. For more information about FOCCUS, please visit their website.
4. Plan your wedding liturgy and music. You will make choices about readings, etc. with the priest, but musical selections will be make in consult with the parish's wedding music coordinator, Mary Blaha-DeBoer (text: 608.780.5780). If you have trouble getting in contact with Mary, please don't hesitate to contact Mary Ellen Haupert (608.385.8516), the parish's Director of Music, for assistance. This should be done well in advance of your wedding date.
5. Attend a Marriage Preparation Retreat hosted by a parish in our diocese. Please see the Diocese of La Crosse Marriage Preparation page for a list of marriage retreats near you.
6. Discuss your faith with your pastor. Fr. Dodge will want to explore your growth as believers and offer tools on how you might build a strong, faith-filled Christian home together. It's an essential ingredient in the recipe for a successful marriage - one that shouldn't be over-looked or under-estimated.
7. Receive instruction for Natural Family Planning.
- Certificate of Baptism (from the church where each of you were baptized)
- Marriage License
3. Complete the online FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) assessment. Fr. Dodge will set you up with the necessary information to access the online assessment. He or a married couple from the parish will then guide you through the FOCCUS assessment process. Regardless of what you may hear about "that marriage test," the FOCCUS instrument is not an examination you can flunk, and it is not designed to predict marital success or breakdown. The tool simply organizes your opinions and attitudes about your relationship in light of what has proven important for other married people. After one of the parish's FOCCUS couples has been assigned to you, it is your responsibility to contact them and then follow through with the three, four, or five appointments needed to review the instrument. For more information about FOCCUS, please visit their website.
4. Plan your wedding liturgy and music. You will make choices about readings, etc. with the priest, but musical selections will be make in consult with the parish's wedding music coordinator, Mary Blaha-DeBoer (text: 608.780.5780). If you have trouble getting in contact with Mary, please don't hesitate to contact Mary Ellen Haupert (608.385.8516), the parish's Director of Music, for assistance. This should be done well in advance of your wedding date.
5. Attend a Marriage Preparation Retreat hosted by a parish in our diocese. Please see the Diocese of La Crosse Marriage Preparation page for a list of marriage retreats near you.
6. Discuss your faith with your pastor. Fr. Dodge will want to explore your growth as believers and offer tools on how you might build a strong, faith-filled Christian home together. It's an essential ingredient in the recipe for a successful marriage - one that shouldn't be over-looked or under-estimated.
7. Receive instruction for Natural Family Planning.
