Sponsor Couple Program

Sponsor Couple is a parish-based, couple-to-couple marriage preparation ministry where you share with and learn from the experiences of a married couple who are members of Holy Infant. Through a series of 4-5 private meetings with your sponsor couple during the months preceding your wedding, you will discuss the many topics that are important to address prior to making a lifelong commitment to each other.  Research shows that couples who complete a structured marriage preparation program such as Sponsor Couple enter into marriage with a better understanding of their strengths and challenges, have realistic expectations of marriage, and have lower divorce rates. In addition, the many couples who have completed the program at Holy Infant consistently report at its completion that they found Sponsor Couple to be time well-spent and a wonderfully rich and rewarding way to prepare for marriage.

The Sponsor Couple program uses the For Better & For Ever process and workbook.* You will be assigned a sponsor couple and you will each receive a For Better & For Ever workbook after you meet with the pastor.

* SPECIAL NOTE:  Most parishes throughout the diocese do not have a Sponsor Couple or similar parish-based marriage preparation ministry. Unlike Holy Infant, these parishes direct couples to complete a diocesan marriage preparation workshop.  Some other parishes do have a parish-based marriage prep ministry that utilizes a process and instrument called Fully Engaged. Fully Engaged and For Better & For Ever (the tool used here at Holy Infant) are similar but different. Both are approved by the diocese and both require significant follow up at the parish level with (a) trained facilitator(s) to ensure the most positive and beneficial preparation experience for you. Because Holy Infant uses the For Better & For Ever process and workbook and provides trained facilitation for that process:

• it is not necessary for you to complete either diocesan marriage preparation or Fully Engaged. 
• we are unable to provide preparation support to engaged couples who complete Fully Engaged because our sponsor couples are not trained in it.