The Dialog

By Simon Caldwell

Catholic News Service

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) — England’s Catholic leaders have asked politicians to “think again” about redefining marriage to include same-sex couples, but to protect conscience rights if they pass the legislation.

The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill poses “grave risks to freedom of speech and freedom of religion”, said Archbishops Vincent Nichols of Westminster and Peter Smith of Southwark, president and vice president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

“If the bill is to proceed through Parliament, we urge members to ensure it is amended so that these fundamental freedoms we all cherish are clearly and demonstrably safeguarded,” they said in a May 15 statement. The bill was headed for its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons May 20-21. Read more »

By TheDialog

The diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life offers three marriage-preparation programs for engaged couples at locations throughout Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The office provided the following schedule.

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By Nancy Frazier O'Brien

Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — With cohabitation, single-person households and single parenthood on the rise, the percentage of Americans who are currently married has reached an all-time low.

A new report from the Pew Research Center analyzing Census Bureau data found that only 51 percent of Americans 18 and over were married in 2010, compared with 72 percent in 1960. Among Hispanics and African-Americans, the decline is even more steep.

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By Staff

From the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Why does the church teach that marriage is a sacrament?

The sacraments make Christ present in our midst. Like the other sacraments, marriage is not just for the good of individuals, or the couple, but for the community as a whole. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage between two baptized persons is a sacrament. The Old Testament prophets saw the marriage of a man and woman as a symbol of the covenant relationship between God and his people. The permanent and exclusive union between husband and wife mirrors the mutual commitment between God and his people. The Letter to the Ephesians says that this union is a symbol of the relationship between Christ and the church.
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By Staff

From U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Many engaged couples handle a lot of their own wedding planning. When at least one of the individuals is Catholic this can include making arrangements to be married in a Catholic church. This is a significant decision. It means more than just choosing an appropriate and picturesque setting for the ceremony and the photos.

You’re trying to make your wedding a meaningful and memorable experience and, most of all, to express in a clear and beautiful way the hopes you have for your married life. How can you achieve these goals in the celebration of your wedding? Here are three general suggestions.
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By Staff

Dialog report

The Diocese of Wilmington’s Marriage Preparatory Policy and Guidelines require that contact with the parish priest or deacon be made one year before the date of the proposed marriage, and include the following steps:
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By Michael Stankewicz

Maybe you were one of the families who celebrated “Family Day” on Monday by eating dinner together (Dialog, Sept. 15). Although families have so many activities devoted to their children, parents feel like they are always having a family day.

My experience in the Office for Marriage and Family Life, however, has revealed that some families fall short in parental engagement. This may be due to circumstances out of our control. Other times, though, it can be about the capacity to set priorities properly.
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By Staff

Dialog report

Marriage preparation classes available in the Diocese of Wilmington through the Office for Family Life include Pre-Cana, Engaged Encounter and Remarriage programs.

Classes scheduled in the coming months include:

Pre-Cana at Fourth Street and Greenhill Avenue in Wilmington: Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5 on Oct. 2 and 30, Nov. 6 and 13; Jan. 8 and 29, Feb. 5 and 26, March 4 and 25 and April 1 and 29. Wednesday classes from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. are scheduled for Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 2, 9, 16 and 30. Wednesday classes from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. are set for Jan. 4, 11 and 18, Feb. 1, 8 and 15, March 7, 14 and 21 and April 4, 11 and 18.
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By Gary Morton

Staff reporter

Milford deacon and his wife teach engaged couples

MILFORD — One recent night John and Peggy Yaeger spontaneously decided to go out to dinner. So they did and enjoyed each other’s company.

A few years back their married life wasn’t so simple; before going out they had to arrange for someone to care for their four children. “It’s easier now,” said John, a deacon in the church.
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By Mike Lang

By Mike Lang

Staff reporter

ASTON, Pa. — Although she is not Catholic, Georgette Hall-Peterson appreciates how the Franciscan charism permeates the pastoral care and counseling program at Neumann University.

“The Franciscan way of living and way of relating to each other is paramount. You see it reflected all through the program,” said Hall-Peterson, an adjunct professor in the graduate school of pastoral counseling at Neumann.

Hall-Peterson teaches a course in marriage and family counseling, which includes couples, premarital and family therapy. She said she has not seen the spiritual aspect of therapy integrated into the program at other schools, but she likes that about Neumann.
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