Catholic Engaged Encounter anyone?

We did Pre-Cana back in April. We are doing an interfaith ceremony with a Preist and rabbi outside of the church and were required to do it.

FH is catholic, I am Jewish and had no idea what to expect. It was a Friday night prayer of love service that didn't have a mass since half the couples were interfaith. Saturday was all day (8-4pm) and was led by a married couple. They told us stories about their experiences and we did different workbook exercises. They were mostly about financial planning, different qualities we liked about each other, and better ways to communicate. There wasn't much religion other than a prayer at the beginning and end. I was pretty bored, but it was painless.

@m, I'm the same way with forced group activities, so I was dreading it. However, it was really 1/3 sitting and listening, 1/3 being alone, and 1/3 being with just FH. There was never a time they made us do anything as a group or pressured us. I actually ended up relaxing under the big tree outside half the time. There was nothing we had to do in front of the group or with the group.

Our Diocese has options... so you can do Engaged Encounter retreat OR the pre-Cana class, or just meet with your priest, or even do online pre-Cana. A lot of my friends have done the Engaged Encounter retreat in Wichita and really enjoyed it, even the ones who already knew all their stuff.

Yeah. The only time they made us talk was at the beginning when we had to stand up and introduce ourselves. Then, the only times we really talked to other couples was at meals.

Lol @m I'm not particularly religious but I'm open to doing this. I know it would make fmil really happy and it's a requirement for their family pastor to marry us. I figure those kind of topics would be discussed. I was just not looking forward to any outdoor activities like team building gardening or something haha. It's over 100 degrees here so I was hoping activities will be indoors. I did read that we would sleep dorm style with a same sex roomie and that there would be no locks on the doors. A little out of my comfort zone but I can deal with that. I'm not super familiar with Catholic marriage requirements but the Father said to do this, sign some type of waiver/agreement and have a small church ceremony during the week before our hotel wedding. We don't live in a very urban area to begin with and the retreat is 85 miles out of town. I have this image in my head of a secluded lodge in the woods haha. Thanks ladies for the insight.

I had a very bad experience with engaged encounter. The presenters were more concerned with telling their stories of finding their way back to rigid Catholicism than helping my fiancée and I to connect. I was hurt when they focused on the slim chance that marriages will survive if the couple doesn't "pray together" and the fact that most children whose fathers do not attend Mass do not practice as adults. My fiancée isn't Catholic. The worst thing was the "special guest" ,a woman and her husband advertising their for profit NFP classes. The lady stated that she was a nurse but then also said that all birth control pills cause abortions. Thanks a lot, now my fiancée things that all Catholics are uneducated zealots.

Engaged Encounter was an absolutely wonderful experience. My fiancé and I were initially recommended to EE for pre Cana as we lived far from the church were to be married in and both had tough work schedules. It seemed to be the easiest choice, but now we know it was the best choice. The two EE leaders were longtime married couples who spoke to us about life lessons and tough situations real married people go through. The class did incorporate our faith, but it also covered issues such as family, money, children, respect, etc. My husband and I both feel we took a lot away from EE and that the lessons we took away from the experience have helped us already. I would recommend this form of pre Cana to anyone!