Pre-Cana questions - for those who have already completed it

So we just learned last night that our church isn't offering pre-cana this year. They used to - but i guess the couple who hosts it, needs a break from it. I have a sign-up sheet from last year - they were charging $75 for parishoners and $150 for non-parishoners.

This year with the cancellation, it seems like our only option is to go with the diocese program - which is $300. so much more $$ than we thought we had to spend.

So my questions are as follows:

1) Does anyone know if its possible for us to attend a pre-cana course offered through another parish - even if we're not going to get married there? With the diocese program being so expensive, we're just wondering if we can save a little on this.

2) Has anyone attended the diocese pre-cana at the uniondale Emmanuel Retreat House location? We're thinking this may be our best diocese option.

3) And this, my final question being more embarrassing - will they give us a hard time if we're living together already?

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Posted by mrs2012

So we just learned last night that our church isn't offering pre-cana this year. They used to - but i guess the couple who hosts it, needs a break from it. I have a sign-up sheet from last year - they were charging $75 for parishoners and $150 for non-parishoners.

This year with the cancellation, it seems like our only option is to go with the diocese program - which is $300. so much more $$ than we thought we had to spend.

So my questions are as follows:

1) Does anyone know if its possible for us to attend a pre-cana course offered through another parish - even if we're not going to get married there? With the diocese program being so expensive, we're just wondering if we can save a little on this.

2) Has anyone attended the diocese pre-cana at the uniondale Emmanuel Retreat House location? We're thinking this may be our best diocese option.

3) And this, my final question being more embarrassing - will they give us a hard time if we're living together already?

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Hello! I have not started Pre Cana yet, but I recently met with our Priest to set the date for the wedding. My FH and I grew up in the same town and are getting married at the church we grew up in. We now live 25 minutes away. Our priest did not give us any problems with the fact that we were living together (i was stressing out sooooo much over this i had huge sweat stains on my shirt!!). He also suggested for precana that if making the trip after work during the week was too much for us we could go speak to church in the town we live. He said to just explain we are being married elsewhere and it should be no problem.

My advice is to just speak to someone at the church and don't be scared. They will be more than willing to help you out!

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Posted by MarryTheNight24

Hello! I have not started Pre Cana yet, but I recently met with our Priest to set the date for the wedding. My FH and I grew up in the same town and are getting married at the church we grew up in. We now live 25 minutes away. Our priest did not give us any problems with the fact that we were living together (i was stressing out sooooo much over this i had huge sweat stains on my shirt!!). He also suggested for precana that if making the trip after work during the week was too much for us we could go speak to church in the town we live. He said to just explain we are being married elsewhere and it should be no problem.

My advice is to just speak to someone at the church and don't be scared. They will be more than willing to help you out!

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Just to reiterate, the priest at the church I'm getting married at (about 25 minutes away from my house as well) also said we could go to pre cana closer to home. That shouldn't be a problem!

We did our precana with a different church and a cheaper one too. It cost us $100 all day from 8am-5pm, and bring your own lunch. The church was Our Lady of Lourdes. Here is their information:

855 Carmans Road
Massapequa Park, NY 11762
Tel: 516-541-3270
Fax: 516-797-9851

They never asked if we livd together and we don't but you don't have to disclose that.

Good luck!

thanks so much everyone.

it took our church so long to tell us this much - i was getting really nervous about it. im not sure if they'd be willing to help us find a neighboring parish or not. maybe we'll talk to them this sunday and find out.

my fiance's family belongs to our lady of lourdes - so maybe we'll call them too as back up.

did anyone who got married at another parish have problems when dealing with their family parish? just hope they wont give him a hard time for some reason??

Our Lady of Lourdes is under the Rockville Centre Diocese which is approved by most churches that I researched and called around.

No all Catholic churches are happy to give a release since they are fulfilling the sacrament of marriage. Once you get closer to your wedding date, the church will ask that you bring the release form to the church so the parish has given permission for you two to be married elsewhere.

You should be able to complete the pre-cana course at an alternate parish. Our parish did not offer the classes and we had to go elsewhere. We're in Brooklyn so the priest said we can select any parish listed or if we wanted to go to another area outside of Brooklyn it was fine as well.
At our Pre-Cana they did not ask personal questions such as if you are living together, etc.