Gulf Pine Catholic

16 Gulf Pine Catholic • November 22, 2024 Ministries of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Ministries From page 15 Deacon Sean Fink indicated this way of handling marriage prep. “We use the Better Together program put out by Matthew Kelly. Our priest likes to do his own Foccus survey. Then he contacts me and I coordinate a mentor couple for the engaged couple. I have four other couples besides Judy and I that work with the engaged couples. We usually meet five times for two hours each ses- sion. Deacon Rich Hollingsworth also has a thoughtful overview. “Every mar- riage prep is slightly different and cannot be looked at like a “cookie cutter.” I am in the Northern most part of the Diocese. Catholics are the minority, especially in the English-speaking community. There are many myths and false teachings in the non-Catholic communities. The couples are in “love” now, but as the new love transitions into a mature love, situations will come up where the non-Catholic might fall back on their background in problem solving. The initial interview, and the Foccus inventory are very useful tools. The sessions, with a married couple is another important part of Marriage prep. We use the one-on-one couple sessions, as opposed to the group ses- sions. Deacon Hollingsworth continues, “Sometimes I will lend out a copy of the “We Believe, a survey of the Catholic Faith,” by Oscar Lukefahr, CM, (out of print now), to the non-Catholic. I emphasize that it is not for their conversion, it is so they know more about their spouses’ faith. I don’t know if it helps or not, but it will point out the false teachings about our faith. The interview after the Foccus inventory can be used as, not only to talk about differences in their thoughts in married life, but to show the non-Catholic feelings in different situations. Of course I cannot reveal any specifics about the Foccus outcome, but every once in a while, I will give the married couple a heads-up or suggest points to open up for discussion. Another thing I do, that can be a little risky, is to hold my interviews in a neutral place, many times in the home of one of them. The initial phone contact is important to help me to discern if that is a good idea, or should I keep it formal at the church office. I have found that the mixed (Catholic-non-Catholic) couple is more comfortable on their turf, so to speak, and the non-Catholic will open up more in the non-formal environment. Another situation is a cohabitating couple deciding to get married. If they have been cohabitating for five years (with or without children) or less, I send them through the normal process, including the videos on NFP . Over five years, I discuss it with the pastor.” Another great insight comes from Deacon Jerry Dubuisson. He states, “You will probably agree that this beautiful ministry has its share of challeng- es! At the initial meeting, engaged couples must receive clear information on what is required of them, along with agreed-upon timelines for completing specific elements. Clearly defined policies, along with accurate record-keep- ing throughout the marriage prep process goes a long way toward eliminating or at least reducing some of the confusion and stress that can occur. Occasionally, priests in our Diocese may (for various reasons) forego some of the marriage prep steps that the Diocese has implemented. I suppose that it is their prerogative, but others are left scrambling to properly record everything after the fact. I don’t know why this all happens, but I think that in their pro- cess of being pastoral, things get overlooked or omitted. My limited experi- ence tells me that once the sacrament has been celebrated, getting the neces- sary information for documentation in parish archives is like pulling teeth. In short, if the policy is being followed and accurate documentation is being done, there’s less stress, less aggravation, less delay, and less room for error. I understand that special circumstances will arise, but even then (especially then!) good documentation must be done. From my perspective, the required steps for marriage prep in our Diocese are pretty easy to access and complete. The challenge is getting everyone on board as to how we must document everything.” These are a variety of ideas on Marriage preparation and, as Deacon Hollingsworth stated, there is no “cookie cutter” way to get done, but it MUST get done! The deacons for the Diocese of Biloxi are talented and committed. They are very busy with other responsibilities, but the success of effective marriage preparation resides with them. If there are any issues you have ques- tions dealing with, do not hesitate to call the Office of Marriage and Family life and we will assist you. For those non-deacons responsible for Marriage prep, you should reach out as well. God’s work is important, and as we know, the harvest is bountiful, and the laborers are few. So let’s make every moment count. God Bless you all, Deacon Justin >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Office of Tribunal Judicial Vicar: Rev. Msgr. John McGrath, J.C.L. Director: Father Bartosz Kunat, J.C.L. Ecclesiastical tribunals are courts of law that operate in the name of the Church, basing their judgments on canon law. They have been in exis- tence since the early days of the Church, and the foundations of today’s court procedures were estab- lished in the Middle Ages. The cur- rent method of operation of these courts was shaped by the reform of the canon law code in the 20th century. Among Church tribunals, we distinguish diocesan courts, metropolitan courts, and the highest court, the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. Our diocesan tribunal is the court of first instance, with the bishop acting as the first judge. However, traditionally, each bishop entrusts his judicial authority to a judicial vicar, whom he appoints to ensure the proper adminis- tration of justice. In the Diocese of Biloxi, the tribunal is headed by Msgr. John McGrath, who serves as Judicial Vicar, with Fr. Bartosz Kunat as Adjunct Judicial Vicar. They are assisted by Mrs. Donna Brown, the Moderator of the Tribunal, Deacon Steve Beckham, who serves as the Assessor in marriage nullity cases, and Father Tommy Conaway, who serves as the Defender of the Bond of Marriage. The primary focus of every Church tribunal is to issue a fair judgment grounded in Christian values of justice and mercy. The cases heard in our diocesan tribunal primarily involve the declaration of the invalidity of a marriage. Our court is tasked with determining whether a marriage was validly or invalidly contracted. Msgr. McGrath Father Kunat >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Office of Communications Director: Terrance P. Dickson Since 1983, the Office of Communications has published the Gulf Pine Catholic newspa- per, which is mailed to all regis- tered Catholics twice a month. The paper is also available online. SEE MINISTRIES, PAGE 17