Pre-Cana is a course or consultation for couples preparing to be
married in a Catholic church. The name is derived from
John 2
John 2 is the second chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It contains the famous stories of the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine and Jesus expelling the money changers from the Temple. The author of ...
:1–12, the wedding feast at
Cana
Cana of Galilee ( grc, Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας; ar, قانا الجليل , translit= Qana al-Jalil , lit=Qana of the Galilee) is the location of the Marriage at Cana, at which the miracle of turning water into wine took place in ...
in
Galilee, where
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
performed the
miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...
of turning
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
into
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
.
Description
Approaches to Pre-Cana vary among
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
s and
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
es. Often six-month sessions are led by a priest or deacon with support from a married Catholic couple.
Online programs have emerged as an alternative to gathered events as
parishes and
dioceses
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
cope with fewer resources, geographically expanding congregations and deployed military couples.
The
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
considers the following topics as "must-have conversations" before couples marry:
* Spirituality/faith
* Conflict resolution skills
* Careers
* Finances
* Intimacy/cohabitation
* Children
* Commitment
Other topics that may be covered by Pre-Cana include:
* Ceremony planning
* Family of origin
* Communication
* Marriage as a sacrament
* Sexuality
* ''
Theology of the Body
''Theology of the Body'' is the topic of a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in St. Peter's Square and the Paul VI Audience Hall between September 5, 1979, and November 28, 1984. It constitutes an ...
''
* Couple prayer
* Unique challenges of military couples
* Stepfamilies
* Children of divorce
See also
*
Christian views on marriage
References
External links
OnlineMarriagePreparation - Pre-Cana OnlineAvalon — Pre Cana Courses OnlineThe Marriage Group — Online Pre-CanaCatholic Marriage Prep ClassCatholic Marriage Preparation, LLCCatechismClass.com — Online Catholic Marriage PreparationArchdiocese of Chicago — Parish Vitality and Mission — Marriage Preparation Courses (virtual or in-personCatholic Engaged Encounter — weekend retreat
Pre-wedding
Marriage in the Catholic Church
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