Matrimony

The Marriage Preparation Ministry

The St. Jerome Marriage Preparation Ministry under the guidance of our pastor seeks to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ as they prepare for this sacrament of service of life and love. 
 

The first step in marriage prep is to schedule an appointment with our Pastor, Fr. James, by calling 254-666-7722.

 
 Engaged couples will need to contact the pastor at least 6 months prior to their wedding date. The pastor will meet with the couple and then he will assign a Deacon who will meet with them. The Deacon will administer the FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication and Study).  FOCCUS is a useful tool in which the couple responds to a minimum of 156 statements covering areas such as Family of Origin, Faith, Problem Solving Skills, and more.  These responses are then scored and provide an excellent tool for communication and further discussion with the Deacon Facilitator.
  
Together in God’s Image is a program developed by the Diocese of Austin and is accepted by the Together in Texas Ministry which upon completion allows couples to waive the $60 marriage license fee.  Together in God’s Image discusses major areas of importance in a couple’s marriage life through the lens of man and woman being made in the image and likeness of God— the Holy Trinity, as a communion of persons made to love and be loved. Spirituality, sacrament, covenant, communication, sexuality and stewardship are covered.

The Catholic Nuptial Mass

A Catholic Nuptial Mass is made up of the Liturgy of the Word, The Rite of Marriage as well as The Liturgy of the Eucharist (Communion). Below is the order for a Nuptial Mass

• Entrance Rite
• Liturgy of the Word
• Liturgy of the Sacrament
• Liturgy of the Eucharist

Natural Family Planning Course

The Diocese of Austin approves of three NFP methods:  

• the Billings Ovulation Method
• the Creighton Method
• the Sympto-Thermal Method.