What really happens at the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (MPC)? 🤍⛪️
If you’re getting married in a Catholic Church in Singapore, you’ll need to attend a marriage preparation programme such as the Marriage Preparation Course (MPC). We didn’t have many friends who had attended the course, so we didn’t really know what to expect. Hence, I decided to document it all here to help other engaged couples! 🤍💍
The course consists of 6 weekends:
📍 3 sessions at Saint Joseph’s Institution (SJI)
🏡 3 sessions at an experienced married couple’s home
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Session 1 @ SJI
⏰ Registration began at 8.00am.
The day started with a short overview of the Marriage Preparation Course, followed by Mass. After breakfast, we had a short sharing session before splitting into breakout rooms for icebreakers, couple discussions and sharing sessions.
Every engaged couple also received a workbook filled with reflection questions and activities to complete throughout the course.
Some of the questions from the first session included:
• What does marriage mean to you? 💍
• What makes a good marriage? 🤍
• How did you meet your partner?
• When was your first kiss?
• What attracted you to your partner?
Although they seem like simple questions, they really encouraged us to pause, reflect and have meaningful conversations together ✨
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Session 2 @ Experienced Married Couple’s Home 🏡
We discussed topics such as faithfulness, communication, active listening and the challenges we can face when communicating as a couple.
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Session 3 @ Experienced Married Couple’s Home 🏡
We learnt a little more about God’s plan for our marriage and also went through the questions and answers from our Session 2 homework.
FYI, after each session, we’re given homework to complete together and discuss at the following session. So this week, we went through and shared our answers from the previous session.
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Session 4 @ SJI
This session focused on Natural Family Planning, abortion, ethics and morality, and the gift of children.
There were lots of interesting discussions and sharing, followed by a Q&A session. We were also given the option to sign up for a Natural Family Planning course afterwards.
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Session 5 @ Experienced Married Couple’s Home 🏡
We talked about children, IVF and what it means to get married in the Catholic Church.
One of my favourite parts was reading out the letters we had written to our partners — why we want to marry them and why we believe our marriage will survive through the test of time ❤️
It was honestly quite emotional hearing everyone’s answers.
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Session 6 @ SJI
It’s the final session!! We came in for Mass and then had a debrief on the entire course, followed by the presentation of our certificates 🎓
Our presenting couple gave us our certificates, blessed us and said a prayer for us. It was such a meaningful way to end the 6-week journey 🤍
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Overall thoughts
At first, I thought of MPC as something we simply had to complete before getting married in church; almost like a prerequisite or paperwork.
But after going through all 6 sessions, I actually found it to be a really meaningful experience 🤍
I enjoyed the questions, the homework and especially the conversations they encouraged us to have as a couple.
Most importantly, I feel like the whole experience brought us closer and helped us better understand each other ❤️ AND always rmb FTFF (free, total, faithful and fruitful) are the key pillars!
Lastly, just wanna thank our presenting couple who was so welcoming and really made us feel at home each time. They always prepared food for us! 🥹❤️ Shepherd’s pie, pizza, fruits, spaghetti… basically, we were always well-fed during our home sessions 😂🍕🍝🍎
If you’re an engaged couple preparing for a Catholic wedding, I hope this gives you a little idea of what to expect! 💍⛪️
Cost: $300 per couple / 6 sessions
Happens every quarter (we had 70+ couples attending the course with us this round)
#catholicwedding #churchwedding #marriageprep #marriage #marriageadvice
Having attended the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) myself, I can share some personal reflections that might help couples preparing for this important step. The course isn’t just a checklist before your wedding but a transformative experience that encourages deeper communication and understanding between partners. One aspect that stood out was the workbook filled with reflection questions and activities. These aren’t just formalities; they prompted us to pause and reflect on what marriage truly means in our lives. Discussing topics like faithfulness, active listening, and communication challenges opened up honest conversations that some couples might not have addressed before. Sessions held at experienced married couples’ homes added a welcoming and intimate atmosphere. Sharing meals such as shepherd’s pie or pizza created a relaxed environment that fostered sharing and connection, helping to ease any nervousness about discussing sensitive topics. I also found the discussions on Natural Family Planning and ethics enlightening. While these subjects can be heavy, the open Q&A sessions allowed us to express concerns and understand the Church’s teachings more clearly. The option to continue with a Natural Family Planning course was a helpful extension for those wanting to delve deeper. Writing and reading letters to each other about why we chose to marry and our hopes for the future proved to be one of the most emotional and bonding moments of the course. Hearing other couples share their feelings underscored the universal hopes and challenges in marriage. Overall, the MPC helped me appreciate the pillars of a Catholic marriage: being free, total, faithful, and fruitful (FTFF). This experience not only prepared us spiritually but also strengthened our relationship through meaningful conversations and shared faith. For any engaged couple, approaching the MPC with an open heart can turn it from a requirement into a treasured journey towards a lasting marriage.
