If you would like to be married at St. Jude's, please contact the parish office to set up a time to meet with Father Coyle so that we may begin the journey of marriage prep together. Please contact the parish office at least one year prior to your intended marriage.

Initial marriage preparation will begin when you meet with the priest or deacon preparing you for the sacrament. The Diocese of Harrisburg coordinates God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage and Catholic Engaged Encounter. In addition, the diocese also coordinates the Natural Family Planning (NFP) instruction in the diocese, including providing information to couples and putting them in touch with approved NFP instructors. If you are looking to schedule God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage or Catholic Engaged Encounter, please contact Kate Neri at the diocese.

For marriages old and new, weathering rough times or smooth sailing, the Church sincerely wishes to support your marriage and the beautiful gift it is to you, to the Church, and to society as a whole.

Please see below for some programs currently offered in our diocese, programs coming soon, and some additional resources. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the parish or diocesan office for help. May God bless your marriage!

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WME) is the largest pro-marriage organization in the world. Begun in 1952 in Spain, WME now exists in almost 100 countries throughout the world and in many different languages. WME promotes weekend experiences for couples wanting to re-connect with each other, re-connect with God, and find ways to make their marriage even better. WME was active in the Diocese of Harrisburg many years ago, and we have plans to bring it back in the near future. If you are interested in taking part in this effort, please contact our office.

For those looking for a WME weekend today, please see the national WME website to find weekends in nearby dioceses (Philadelphia, Baltimore, Greensburg, Arlington, etc.).

Retrouvaille

The word “Retrouvaille” is a French word meaning rediscovery. The program offers tools for couples in struggling or deeply strained marriages to rediscover a loving marital relationship. Thousands of couples in unloving relationships, separation, and even divorce have successfully overcome their marital problems and rediscovered a loving relationship by attending this program.

The Retrouvaille program consists of a weekend experience combined with a series of optional but strongly recommended 6 – 12 post-weekend sessions over three months. It provides the tools to help put your marriage in order again. The main emphasis of the program is on communication in marriage between husband and wife. It will give you the opportunity to rediscover each other and to examine your lives together in a new and positive way.

Retrouvaille weekends are held twice a year in the Diocese of Harrisburg. For more information or to sign up, please see the Retrouvaille website.

Annulments are processed through the Tribunal Office at the Diocese of Harrisburg. If you would like to begin the annulment process, and you reside in the Diocese of Harrisburg or your former spouse resides in the Diocese of Harrisburg, or your previous marriage took place in the Diocese of Harrisburg, please click here to fill out the Annulment Process Questionnaire.