Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding. We’ve put together the following steps to help guide you to your wedding day.

Steps for Marriage Preparation

• Interview with Father Williams. As part of your interview, Father will give your email address to Ofelia, and she will send you a link to an on-line questionnaire.
• Once you receive the link, you each will take the questionnaire separately.
• Once you’ve taken the questionnaire, Ofelia will then give your results to a host couple who will then contact you so that they may meet and talk with both of you.
• Once you have finished meeting with the host couple, you will then need to make a final appointment with Father.

In addition to the questionnaire, and the meetings with the host couple, you will need to provide the following information to the Basilica Office:

• You will both need to provide a newly issued baptismal certificate. This baptismal certificate will also include all other sacraments you’ve received on the back.
• Each of you will need two witnesses who can testify about your marriage history. These witnesses can come to the Basilica office any time and meet with Ofelia.
• If you’ve had prior marriages, those will need to be addressed, and documents copies to the Basilica office prior to the marriage.

When you first meet with Father, you will pick a date for your wedding. That date is reserved for you but the determination if you will marry on that date is based on the above steps being completed.

Natural Family Planning

 Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a way of following God’s plan for achieving and/or avoiding pregnancy. It consists of ways to achieve or to avoid pregnancy using the physical means that God has built into human nature. Advantages of NFP

-Achieve pregnancy naturally
-Postpone pregnancy naturally
-Billings Ovulation Method of NFP is the most scientifically researched method
-Billings Ovulation Method of NFP is easy to learn 4 simple rules
-Increased self-awareness and knowledge of your fertility
-Increased reliance on your own resources rather than a family planning program or other sources of contraception
-Increased independence from costly or distant medical services
-Freedom from artificial substances and the side effects or potential medical risks of other methods
-Reduced re-supply costs associated with commodity-based methods
-Enhanced communication and intimacy with partner
-Encourages male involvement in family planning
-The ability to adhere to Roman Catholic teachings

Contact Robin Contreras, Certified Instructor, Billings Ovulation Method, at (575) 644-0962, or send an email to robincontreras@msn.com

Engagement Retreat

An engagement retreat will strengthen a couple's relationship by providing a focused environment to deepen their spiritual and emotional connection, learn communication skills, and better understand their marriage as a sacrament. We recommend the retreat run by the Catholic Diocese of El Paso.