Questions? We've Got The Answers.
FAQs
These answers to your Frequently Asked Questions will help you understand the what, why, where, and how of the One In Christ seminar.
Registration Questions
Sign up as soon as possible as the seminar fills up quickly, and we close registration at least 5-6 weeks before the start date.
Also, pick the earliest available seminar. It is designed to inspire ongoing discussion and reflection for both of you as you continue to prepare for marriage.
Because preparing for your marriage is so important, you should register for a seminar which is held no later than 9-12 months before your wedding. You need to allow enough time to complete both Part One and Part Two requirements.
Final NOTE: Try not to take the Part One seminar near your wedding date just in case something comes up, i.e. sickness, death in the family, etc.
Part One 3-Day Seminars are limited (5-6 a year), so it’s good to schedule an earlier one so you can fall back on a later one.
Part Two NFP is only approximate 6-hours of class time, but classes are spread over a 3-4 month timeframe.
Please don’t wait to register.
Registration CLOSES depending on a variety of situations:
- Classes fill up quickly, so we close registration once a class is full.
- We have prework (homework) that is sent out in advance to allow enough time for couples to complete it, so we typically close registration 4-5 weeks before the seminar start date.
- Finally, we also have logistical requirements to finalize, such as partners’ requirements (i.e. caterer and facility room requirements) that require closing registration.
- However, if a seminar registration is closed, you can contact us to see if an exception can be made.
Please contact us to discuss options and how we need to handle proper registration.
While all three days are required and must be taken in sequence, some engaged couples have attended the first Saturday (Day 1) and/or Sunday (Day 2) and then come back to finish the seminar by attending the Sunday and/or follow-up Saturday (Day 3) in a future One In Christ session.
For example, an engaged couple would register for a January seminar and attend the first Saturday (Day 1) and Sunday (Day 2) of the January seminar. Then return to attend the follow up Saturday (Day 3) in the March seminar to complete the Part One Requirement.
You only need to register ONCE for BOTH you and your fiancé.
Your Part One 3-Day Seminar payment and registration cover you both.
Please contact us ASAP if you need to cancel or reschedule (move) your registration to a different OIC seminar.
Please note: If you cancel your reservation within 14 days of the seminar, there will be a $100 cancellation fee.
If you are looking to move your registration, there may be a $50 rescheduling fee.
It is very important to register early. If the seminar is sold out, please select another seminar date.
If a different seminar is not available we request that the priest who is marrying you contact us to discuss options and alternatives.
No, the Part One and Part Two seminars of the One In Christ marriage preparation program are separate fees.
Part One Seminar Questions
We are blessed to be able to hold our seminars at different parishes around the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana. The location depends upon the seminar you choose. Please check our seminar dates under REGISTER to see more information about the seminar and the locations available.
If you are looking for other One In Christ seminars outside these two dioceses, please email us to see if there is a seminar in your local area. One In Christ was started in the Chicago Archdiocese and has grown to different dioceses across the United States.
The current cost of the Part One seminar is $300 per couple. This fee covers all three Part One sessions, meals, and books. See more details under Registration.
We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express credit cards via PayPal. If you have a PayPal account you can pay through your checking account.
Please note: if you cancel your reservation within 14 days of the seminar, there will be a $100 cancellation fee.
There may be a $50 rescheduling administrative fee if you request to move your registration to a different seminar.
Please be sure to bring the following items with you:
- Be sure to remember to bring your Pre-Work assignment notes.
- Comfortable clothing for the seminar, however please note that Mass is available for those who wish to attend after Saturday’s seminar, thus proper attire should be worn.
- Sweater or light jacket as appropriate because it can get cold in the meeting room.
- Seat cushions as some parish facility chairs are not padded.
- Any medications or special dietary needs.
Upon registration, you will see the general timeframe for each seminar. A few weeks prior to the seminar, you will receive a Welcome Email with more details.
Part Two class schedule will depend on the Natural Family Planning provider you choose.
Yes, we do ask that you observe a few basic rules.
- Complete all homework assignments on time.
- Be on time. As we have a very tight schedule.
- Do not bring anything that will be a distraction to you as a couple or other items that may distract you.
- Turn off all electronic devices (mobile phones).
- Please do not bring children or pets to the seminar. Make arrangements for their care before your seminar. The seminar is for you to focus on each other.
We will do our best. Please indicate any special dietary needs when registering.
Please leave Saturday (Day 1) evening open as you will have a homework assignment that will need to be completed before the Sunday (Day 2) seminar.
Part Two NFP Questions
It is good for your marriage, and science has learned of the natural signs that God has placed in a woman’s body to detect fertility during her cycle.
In keeping with Church Teaching (CCC 2369-2370) and the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops on “Church Teaching” the Part Two Requirement is a blessing for the couple’s marriage to be a source of joy and fulfillment for their whole life long.
NFP has been proven to be 99% effective in determining fertility, and this information must be accompanied by prayer consideration of God’s Will concerning achieving or postponing pregnancy.
Looking for Some Current Medical Research?
NFP education should meet or exceed the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Standards for NFP ministry. An approved NFP class should be 1) an approved scientific evidence-based NFP method that is 2) led and taught by an instructor certified in the method in accordance with Catholic teaching.
The One in Christ (OIC) Part 2 Requirement consists of learning and charting in-depth Natural Family Planning (NFP) classes that you will need to schedule to begin AFTER completing the Part One 3-Day Seminar.
To meet OIC standards, based on feedback from our Priests, past engaged couples, and Certified NFP instructors, real-time instruction (in-person or live online) provides the best experience for learning and charting a method.
These classes will be located at a different location and will depend on the date that you choose.
Part 2 NFP classes are a separate cost and will be billed at the time of sign-up.
Click for a description of the NFP methods: Sympto-Thermal, Creighton, and Marquette.
Click for information about the different NFP methods that have a strong Indiana presence:
Sympto-Thermal, Creighton, and Marquette.
Contact a provider for detailed information.
Since this depends on the choice of an approved Natural Family Planning (NFP) provider, you will need to check with them on the cost. Contact information is on our provider sheets listed below.
Please Note: The Self Paced classes do not fulfill the OIC Part Two standards.
For a description of the NFP methods, click here.
For more details on Part Two certified Providers with a strong Indiana presence, click here.
NOTE: Please contact us if you are looking to pick a different NFP provider than those listed on our NFP Providers List.
For details on the Natural Family Planning providers in Indiana, click here.
Please Note: Not all NFP courses, especially self-paced online courses of NFP, fulfill the OIC Part Two requirement.
It is important that you participate in Part One 3-Day Seminar before taking Part Two NFP classes, as we provide a solid foundation to help you understand and pick the appropriate Part 2 NFP classes.
If you have a unique circumstance, such as limited timing before your wedding date, and you need to start Part 2 NFP classes before finishing Part 1, then you will need contact us to inform us that you are requesting to take Part 2 NFP classes before taking Part 1.
If you misplaced your NFP Certificate of Attendance for the NFP Instructor to sign, download a copy to print.
General Questions
Engaged couples who completed the One In Christ program shared with us it helped them become closer to God and each other. They shared they now understand the truth, beauty, and good of a Catholic marriage.
Think of all the preparation you have done for your career or job. Most of us spend years studying or learning. Then, think of the preparation taken for your wedding day. Most people spend months planning and many dollars preparing for their wedding. But how much time and effort do we spend preparing for what we hope will last 50 or 60 years – our marriage?
Ask yourself, “Am I willing to dedicate some quality time to hearing ideas, personal experiences, and learning skills that will help make my marriage the best it can be?” One in Christ’s mission is to help you have a joyful and successful marriage, which is why your priest has asked you to participate, and we hope you both are all in to let us help you.
Part One of the seminar consists of prework assignments to prepare you for a series of Expert Led presentations over a main weekend (Day 1 & 2) and a future follow up Saturday (Day 3).
- Led by a team of married Catholic couples, medical experts, and a priest, the two of you are encouraged to talk and pray privately with each other after each presentation.
- An atmosphere is created for the two of you to concentrate exclusively on each other, free of the distractions, pressures, and interruptions of daily living – a “time out” away from home, friends, and wedding preparations.
- It is a thought-provoking seminar, specifically designed to give you the opportunity to talk honestly and intensively about your future together – an opportunity to discover a deeper appreciation of your relationship and God’s call to unite in a permanent union, the Sacrament of Matrimony.
- Through personal sharing, the members of the facilitating married couples talk about what the Sacrament of Matrimony means to them individually and the impact a great Christian marriage can have on the world.
- Our goal is not just to present information on marriage, but rather to help couples see the what, why, and how of the Church’s teaching in relation to marriage. That is why we begin with the basic catechesis on the Catholic Faith and interweave it throughout the seminar.
- Couples find their faith reinvigorated by learning the Church’s teachings in the context of marriage preparation.
- After finishing the 3-Day Part One portion of the seminar, you will be prepared to continue your marriage prep journey for Part Two NFP Classes of One In Christ in order to obtain your certificate of completion.
The One In Christ marriage preparation program consists of TWO parts to receive a Certificate of Completion we send to your priest.
Part One consists of homework assignments and three days of onsite seminar participation.
Part Two is provided by a certified partner with approximately 6 hours of class time but spread over a 3-month period learning and charting an approved USCCB Natural Family Planning (NFP) method via live-onsite or live-online classes.
These NFP classes will be offered at different dates/times and locations. Depending on the approved NFP provider will determine the number of meetings.
Ideally, Part Two should be taken after completing Part One, as Part One lays the foundation the couple needs to move forward with Part Two NFP classes.
YES. It is very important that you attend and participate in the entire seminar (both Part One and Part Two). The seminar is designed for couples to build upon their knowledge through each presentation. By the end of the seminar, couples have the education and tools they need to help them prepare for a successful marriage.
Along with your priest who will be marrying you, the One In Christ Board of Directors, Administrators, and Facilitators take your marriage preparation very seriously. Once you fully participate and attend Parts One and Two of the seminar, the One In Christ Administrators will send a Certificate of Completion to the priest or deacon who is marrying you.
One In Christ is endorsed as fulfilling this requirement within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana. This program is also frequently accepted in other Dioceses and states. Whether in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis or elsewhere, your priest always has the final say on what he will accept for your marriage preparation. Please check with the priest who will officiate your wedding before registering.
At the conclusion of you both attending and completing the work for Part One and Part Two of the One In Christ program, we will send a Certificate of Completion to the priest or deacon preparing you for marriage. We will put you in copy of this email so you have a copy of the Certificate of Completion as well.
Yes, all our trained One In Christ facilitators who present the Catholic Church’s teaching on Marriage and the Family swear an Oath to the Fidelity to the Magisterium.
One In Christ Seminar is a marriage preparation program for couples asking to be married in the Catholic Church. Therefore, you must be referred to our program by a Catholic Priest or Deacon that is under the authority of their Bishop (Ordinary).
However, sometimes a Catholic is marrying a non-Catholic, and One in Christ provides an excellent opportunity for you and your fiancé to understand the truth, good, and beauty of a Catholic Christian Marriage. One In Christ does present God as a focus for a successful Christian marriage. While the material will be presented in a Catholic expression of the Christian faith, the seminar is open to couples of mixed faiths (one Catholic and the other non-Catholic).
After you meet with your priest and he schedules your wedding, you are welcome to attend the One In Christ seminar as you prepare for your sacramental marriage within the Church.
This page contains external links and/or references to third-party websites, individuals, and organizations that are not owned or controlled by One In Christ. One In Christ does not control and is not responsible for the content, practices, or conduct of any third party website, individual, or organization.
