Living as a Catholic Catholic life Marriage & Family Life The sacrament of matrimony is also a vocation. Through the vows taken a man and woman are joined together for life. Marriage begins with a wedding service in the presence of God and the faith community and the couple continue to confer the sacrament on one another whenever they offer themselves in the service of the other and the larger community. Thus, marriage is an ongoing sacrament. The grace of the sacrament is there to strengthen the couple and should be open to creating and raising a family. For more information on Weddings (Office for Marriage) within the Archdiocese of Birmingham please click here Paul Northam is the Advisor for Evangelisation & Discipleship (with Marriage & Family Life). 0121 321 5148 / 07821 582 096 [email protected] Marriage and Family Life in the Archdiocese Alliance of Catholic Marriage Organisations The 'Accompanying Couples over a Lifetime' document is produced by the Alliance of Catholic Marriage Organisations. The Alliance is formed of many organisations that support couples at all stages of their relationship from marriage preparation to marriage enrichment as well as when marriages experience difficulties. All of these organisations have adapted how they support couples and are now able to remotely provide their services online. DOWNLOAD Accompanying Couples over a Lifetime document Marriage Preparation The three main providers in the UK are Marriage Care, Worldwide Marriage Encounter & SmartLoving. Marriage Care Offers marriage preparation, relationship counselling and more. We specialise in helping couples build and sustain strong, fulfilling, healthy relationships, and in providing support in times of relationship difficulty. Marriage Care Worldwide Marriage Encounter Marriage Encounter is a national catholic organisation that offers two experiences to enrich relationships, improve family relationships and bring God to the heart of your marriage and families. Our experiences are available in two formats as a live experience held at hotels or online. Worldwide Marriage Encounter SmartLoving Brought to you by the Marriage Resource Centre, SmartLoving provides resources to support couples throughout their commitment life-cycle. The SmartLoving series is recognised internationally as one of the most comprehensive range of materials for Catholic marriage formation. SmartLoving Marriage support for those experiencing difficulties Retrouvaille Retrouvaille is the name of a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages. The word "Retrouvaille" simply means "rediscovery". The programme offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your partner, and a loving relationship in your marriage. Retrouvaille Faith in the Family video series Faith in the Family is a new 15-part video series, offering an overview of key aspects of the Catholic Faith and its practice. Narrated by Fr Marcus Holden, from the Archdiocese of Southwark, and featuring interviews from numerous parents, this series provides clear catechetical instruction and practical advice suitable for parishes, schools and homes. Each segment is around 7 - 8 minutes long and a resource to support and encourage a living faith in everyday life. The videos follow the chapters of the book Faith in the Family: A Handbook for Parents Faith in the Family videos Manage Cookie Preferences