For Engaged, Dating
& Single Adults
Marriage is
one of life's most important decisions.
Whether you are single, dating, or engaged, the Church encourages you to approach marriage not as a social milestone, but as a vocation that requires discernment, formation, and support.
For Better & For Ever® offers resources to help you reflect honestly on where you are, where you are headed, and what is needed to build a lifelong relationship.
Discerning the Path to Marriage
Many couples move quickly from dating to engagement without taking time to ask essential questions:
- Where is this relationship going?
- Are we developing the skills needed for lifelong marriage?
- Are there differences or unresolved issues we need to face honestly?
Discernment is not about pressure or judgment. It is about clarity.
Through guided questions and structured dialogue, couples are encouraged to reflect on:
- Faith and values
- Family of origin and personal history
- Communication and conflict
- Expectations about marriage and family life
Sometimes discernment leads toward engagement. Other times it reveals that more growth—or a different path—is needed. Either outcome is a healthy step forward.
A Catechumenate for Marriage
The Church increasingly speaks of marriage preparation as a “catechumenate”
—a process of formation similar to how adults prepare for Baptism or Confirmation.
This approach recognizes that:
- Many people did not grow up seeing healthy marriages
- Cultural expectations often conflict with lifelong commitment
- Skills for marriage must be learned and practiced
Marriage preparation, therefore, is not a single class or checklist, but a journey of growth that begins before engagement and continues after the wedding.
For Better & For Ever® is designed to support this process by meeting couples where they are and helping them develop the spiritual, emotional, and relational skills marriage requires.
If You Are Dating (Not Yet Engaged)
Dating is a time for learning—not avoiding—important conversations.
Dating couples are encouraged to explore questions such as:
- How did our families shape our expectations of marriage?
- How do we handle differences and conflicts?
- What role does faith (or spirituality) play in our lives?
- What are our hopes—and fears—about marriage?
Structured reflection tools like Facing Ahead and the early chapters of For Better & For Ever® help couples have these conversations before making binding commitments.
If You Are Engaged
Engaged couples use For Better & For Ever® to:
- Practice honest dialogue
- Address topics often avoided (money, family planning, faith, conscience)
- Learn how personal history affects marriage
- Clarify expectations and commitments
Many couples discover they are discussing topics they have never talked about before—by design. Engagement is meant to be a time of openness, with no hidden assumptions or unspoken expectations.
If One of You is Not Catholic
(or Not Christian)
The Catholic Church welcomes couples who come from different faith traditions.
Key principles include:
- Respect for each person’s conscience and beliefs
- No requirement that a non-Catholic convert
- Honest conversation about faith and family life
- Pastoral guidance tailored to each couple’s situation
Interchurch and interfaith couples are supported in ways that honor both partners while respecting the Catholic understanding of marriage as a lifelong covenant.
Marriage Preparation is Required—But It Is Also a Gift
- Protects couples from avoidable mistakes
- Help couples make free and informed decisions
- Strengthens marriages and families
- Shapes a couple’s long-term relationship with the Church
Couples who approach preparation with openness often say it becomes one of the most meaningful parts of their engagement.
Whether you are single, dating, or engaged, now is the right time to begin learning the skills of lifelong love.
Marriage thrives not on good intentions alone, but on daily practices of dialogue, commitment, and growth.
For Better & For Ever® exists to help you take those first steps—with honesty, clarity, and hope.
