Pre-Cana retreats are held on Saturdays throughout the diocese so engaged couples can reflect on their vocation to married life and encounter Jesus Christ in a deeper way.

Three love stories lie at the heart of these retreats. The central focus is that Jesus the Bridegroom gives Himself to us in the flesh and on the Cross, and that the sacrament of marriage draws a couple deeper into that love. 

The second love story is told by the married couples who volunteer at the Pre-Cana retreats. The volunteers share about their marriage, the funny, difficult and beautiful ways their love has grown and how God has drawn them closer to Him through their marriage. 

But they also show it at the Pre-Cana retreats through how they serve together, brewing coffee and creating name tags for the engaged couples and leading games. They create a space for engaged couples to reflect on the wedding vows they will make and encourage them to lean on the Lord for His grace. 

Scott and Lisa Wirth, a couple on the Pre-Cana team at Westerville St. Paul Church, are passionate about welcoming engaged couples into the marriage community. Volunteering in marriage ministry has also encouraged them in their own love story. 

They say, “Being involved in marriage preparation has been a great way of prioritizing communication within our own marriage. Working as a team to serve others strengthens our bond as a married couple but also strengthens our friendships with other married couples who are on the same mission.”

The engaged couples who attend the retreats are embarking on a love story of their own. Just like the married couples who serve at the Pre-Cana retreats, engaged couples are choosing to follow a path of generosity  holiness. An engaged couple’s love can seem young or unexperienced, but they exemplify the call to turn from  single life and all other options for the sake of their beloved. 

Engaged couple Meredith and Brendan are enjoying the exciting season of preparing for marriage and also looking ahead to their marriage as their call to holiness and mission. 

They said, “We want our home to be a place of warmth and refuge, a place to welcome other families.” Meredith added, “I have a lot of friends from a variety of backgrounds, secular and Jewish friends, and we want to be able to welcome them all into our home as a place of love.”

They were connected by a mutual friend who told Brendan, “I have someone for you.” Before Meredith flew to Cincinnati to meet Brendan for the first time, she was pleasantly surprised when he sent her a detailed itinerary with thoughtful options for their time together. 

Approaching the relationship with optimistic caution, they soon realized that they were a great fit.  Brendan and Meredith found in each other a strong conversation partner. They both were seeking an intentional relationship and were spiritually “equally yoked,” seeking to deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ as individuals.

Family was an important aspect of their dating process, laying a foundation for the life of service they desire to build together. On their second visit, Brendan met Meredith’s family and even helped build a tree house. 

They sought God’s will in their dating relationship, bringing it to prayer. Earlier in her life, Meredith had spoken with a Sister of Life about vocation discernment. The sister closed the conversation by saying, “Stop trying to figure your vocation out for now, and go try to be holy.” 

By saying this, she highlighted that discernment is important but that a relationship with God is the highest priority, and peaceful discernment of a vocation flows from that. 

Meredith said, “I had an abundance of peace in dating Brendan. I wasn’t doing well this summer, which made me question the relationship, but when I would bring our relationship to the Lord in prayer, there would just be more peace.” 

Brendan voiced a similar experience: “I found only a deepening peace, simply the person God wants me to be with.” 

The couple has been preparing for marriage by continuing to date each other and pursue  intentionality and prayer. They appreciate the marriage preparation provided by the Church, including guidance in having key conversations through the Prepare Enrich inventory and their Pre-Cana retreat. 

“We have not talked about every possible marriage topic yet,” Meredith said, “but there’s trust between us so we know we will tackle every topic now and down the road as a team. We know there will be surprises and ups and downs, but now we are weathering them together, and we’re looking forward to being united in our pursuit of the Lord.” 

On their wedding day, Brendan and Meredith’s love story will be joined with the love story of Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church. Their peace, excitement and preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage remind us that we are all called to participate in that ultimate love story.

To find out more about the Pre-Cana retreat ministry,  email the diocesan Marriage and Family Life Office at [email protected].

Catherine Suprenant is the marriage formation coordinator in the diocesan Marriage and Family Life Office.