Marriage and Family Life Supplement
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 at the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center, 1400 N. Meridian St., in Indianapolis, as follows:
—March 14 and 15, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. each day, $200 per couple, register by March 4.
—Sept. 19 and 20, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. each day, $200 per couple, registration opens on March 14.
More information and registration are available at tinyurl.com/IndyPre-Cana.
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 retreats will take place on June 5-7 and Sept. 25-27.
More information and registration are available at fatimaretreathouse-indy.org/tobit. For Tobit retreat or registration questions, contact Lisa Coons at lcoons@archindy.org or 317-545-7681.
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 9:45 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: April 11, 12 and 18, and June 27, 28 and 11. 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. †
See more from our 2026 Marriage and Family Life Supplement