FOCCUS is not part of the Catholic Engaged Encounter program. The FOCCUS survey should be completed and the results should be discussed with your priest / diocese representative before you attend the Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend.

We recommend using the “earlier the better” policy. Many parishes require you to start marriage prep at least 6 months in advance. As soon as you are engaged, or even considering engagement, it is the right time to attend a weekend. By attending early, you can discover areas of growth necessary in your relationship, determine if engagement and marriage is right for you and avoid the last-minute hassles of attending a retreat while trying to do everything else your wedding day planning entails.

Catholic Engaged Encounter is designed to provide engaged couples the tools needed for a successful marriage. The retreat is open to any engaged couple wanting to prepare for a deeper, more meaningful life together.

The cost for the stay-overnight weekends is $300 per couple.  The cost for the commuter and Zoom weekends is $190 per couple.

The retreat is not group therapy, instead, it provides private one-on-one time for the couple to learn about each other and marriage based on 5 major themes: The Family we Grew Up In, Sacramental Marriage, Communications, Intimacy, and Values. Couples learn about these 5 major themes through a series of presentations given by married couples. After each presentation, both fiancé’s are given time to individually reflect and write on the topic covered. Couples then are given time to privately reflect as a couple. Couples are never required to share with the group.

We suggest you bring the following items with you:

• Wear comfortable casual clothing;
• Bring a snack to place on the shared snack table available in the conference room (water, tea, and coffee will be provided);
• Your favorite soda, energy or sports drink;
• Any snack or drink items for your own personal use

Stay-overnight weekends start Friday evening at Weekends start Friday at 7:00pm, so plan to arrive between 6:00 – 6:45pm. Commuter weeeknds start Saturday morning at 8:00am so please plan to arrive by 7:30am.

Weekends end Sunday at around 3:00-4:00pm.

Each couple will receive two workbooks to use throughout the retreat. These are yours to keep. The workbook provides an outline of the retreat and topics covered.

YES, it is very important that you stay for the entire weekend. If you arrive late or leave early, you will miss important parts of the experience, and we will not be able to give you your certificate of completion.

Yes, we do ask that you observe a few basic rules.

• Please refrain from the use of alcohol and illegal drugs.
• Please respect this is a Catholic experience – we ask that you dress appropriately. Gentlemen, please no hats.
• Please remember the weekend is presented at a Catholic facility and be respectful of your surroundings.
• Please do not leave the weekend, for any reason, unless an emergency arises. If you need to leave, please speak to one of the team members.

Dress for the entire weekend is casual. Please dress comfortably. We will attend Mass during the weekend, however casual attire is acceptable.

Catholic Engaged Encounter is a smoke free environment, and due to state law all of our facilities prohibit smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes. If you do smoke, each facility has designated smoking areas outside of the building. Additionally, as a sign of respect, we ask that you please refrain from using e-cigarettes or vaping inside the facilities.

Planning a wedding can be a fun and exciting time. It can also be stressful. Catholic Engaged Encounter offers a weekend-long retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life, where you can focus on each other, your relationship, and what it means to become a sacrament. While couples spend the majority of the retreat together – there is not much free time. Couples should plan to start their day a little earlier and work a little later than they typically would on an average weekend at home.

Catholic Engaged Encounter offers a weekend-long retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life, where you can focus on each other, your relationship, and what it means to become a sacrament. As such we ask that couples refrain from using electronic devices as much as possible – including cell phones, laptops and tablets.

No, the purpose of the Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend is to interact with and talk with your fiancé about issues you may or may not have already discussed. If your fiance is not present, you will be unable to complete the program.