Last Friday marked the final training meeting for the third- year theology seminarians at our college, led by Don Michele Diaz, the rector of St. Jerome of Charity Church in Rome. The focus of the course was on preparing for the sacrament of marriage and how to adequately prepare couples for this lifelong commitment. Fr. Michel structured the course into three themes spread across three Friday evenings, following the stages outlined in the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (No. 66) by His Holiness John Paul II.
The first Friday session covered remote preparation for marriage; the following shifted to proximate preparation; and the third culminated with a discussion on immediate preparation and post-marriage life, emphasizing the importance of ongoing support and activities for married couples within the parish community. The course was interactive in question-and-answer format, allowing participants to share their different experiences from their respective countries. Fr. Michel also shared his own pastoral experiences and offered valuable advice on marriage preparation.
This course proved to be essential in better equipping individuals preparing for this sacred sacrament.