After the Honeymoon
The Parish and Marriage Resource Centre has launched a program for newlywed couples to accompany them during the first year of marriage.
Dispatched every two weeks for a year, SmartLoving Newlywed Date Nites is brimming with inspiration, tips and practical tools. Couples can subscribe FREE at www.smartloving.org/newlywed
The program has been launched to coincide with the Amoris Laetitia Family Year declared by Pope Francis which lasts from 19 March 2021 to 26 June 2022, the day of the World Meeting of Families in Rome.
Supporting newlywed couples is one of the challenges faced by parishes and dioceses. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the first eight years of marriage are high risk years, with almost 50% of separations occurring during this time.
“It’s a crucial phase when couples are setting up patterns and expectations that endure for the remainder of their marriage.” said SmartLoving founders, Dr Byron and Francine Pirola.
“The engagement period is such a busy time, and while good marriage preparation is essential, it’s so hard for couples to take in all that they are learning”, they noted. “SmartLoving Newlywed supports couples in applying healthy relationship principles in real time so that they become habits that will serve them for years to come”.
Preventing divorce, however, is not the only agenda of SmartLoving Newlywed. The program is designed to ‘drip feed’ theological and spiritual content and so consolidate the couple’s understanding of Catholic marriage.
“Around half of the couples in the SmartLoving Engaged course have one member who is not Catholic. Of those who are baptised Catholics, their level of formation and commitment to their faith is variable. That leaves lots of scope to nourish them spiritually alongside the practical relationship tools in an integrated way”, said Francine.
The program content is drawn from SmartLoving’s acclaimed relationship courses which have been used by tens of thousands of couples. Topics explore timeless themes as well as unique newlywed issues and contain practical strategies for communication, conflict resolution and establishing couple faith traditions.
SmartLoving Coordinators in the United Kingdom, Nigel and Rose Stokes had this to say regarding the new program: “SmartLoving Newlywed has an appropriate range of topics for newlyweds, is factually informative but the style is down-to-earth and accessible. The activities are varied and not time consuming. There has been a need to do something for newlyweds, this fits the bill. It is ideal for busy couples and for Covid times. Brilliant!”
Pope Francis and many Australian bishops have repeatedly called for a ‘marriage catechumenate’ model – a ‘whole of life’ approach to marriage formation that begins in childhood and continues throughout married life.
SmartLoving Newlywed fills a critical gap in the marriage catechumenate lifecycle with a specific focus on the first year of marriage. It is one of a suite of online resources for various formation stages including courses for engaged and married couples, and for spouses in distressed marriages.
SmartLoving also provides courses and eBooks in fertility awareness and couple spirituality as well as family faith resources through its CathFamily project. It works collaboratively with dioceses worldwide to provide high quality marriage and family formation within the local setting.
