"Marriage is a lifelong partnership of the whole of life, of mutual and exclusive fidelity, established by mutual consent between a man and a woman, and ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation of offspring."

- U.S. Catholic Bishops
(Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan)

Strengthening marriages and nurturing families is a key aspect of our ministry in the diocese. Married life is a vocation, a calling from God. Healthy marriages are vital to the well being of the Church and society. It is a path for holiness for those who embrace this beautiful vocation and strive to be faithful to it.

Please make use of the following marriage-related resources.

Jubilee of Marriage Anniversaries - A Celebration of the Diocese of Steubenville in recognition of Marriage Anniversaries

Building a Eucharistic Marriage

Building a Eucharistic Marriage is a 7-part online video series that connects 7 areas for therapeutically strengthening your marriage with 7 areas of deepening your relationship with Christ through the Eucharist. There are options for couples who want to purchase an individual copy for home use or for parishes who would like to purchase a license for running the video series at their parish. The Parish License comes with a leaders’ guide, unlimited participant guides, as well as advertising options and participant discounts on their own copy of the program. (www.eucharisticmarriage.org)

Discovering Our Deepest Desire

Discovering our Deepest Desire is a curriculum designed for all couples, from those with strong marriages to those who are struggling. Designed by marriage therapist, Greg Schutte, LISW-S, it is built off of a therapeutic model for change. Infused with Scripture, Catechism, marriage enrichment skills, as well as concepts from the Theology of the Body, the classes are designed to be interactive, informative, and fun.  Written in 2013, the marriage curriculum has been implemented in numerous churches. The program works to build marriage teams in parishes while presenting the enrichment curriculum to couples. The DODD curriculum can be presented over 12 sessions, 7 sessions, or an extended weekend.  (www.ourdeepestdesire.com)
 

Natural Family Planning

A great blessing for every marriage!  Find out how you can strengthen your marriage and plan your family according to the moral guidelines of the Catholic Church. 

Read more on our NFP webpage. 
 

ForYourMarriage.org 

Marriage is a vocation to holiness. From their first days as husband and wife through their golden years, married couples have the awesome task of witnessing to God’s faithful love to each other, their children, and society. No couple does this perfectly, and everyone needs help when love feels strained and the going gets tough. All marriages can grow in knowledge, faith, joy, and love. Whether you are just starting out in marriage or have fifty years under your belt, the advice, real life stories, and Church teaching here can help strengthen and bless your marriage.

Marriage Encounter 

Looking for the perfect weekend? A weekend to bring you and your spouse closer together? A Marriage Encounter weekend is exactly what you are looking for. Instead of simply listening to lectures about how to improve your marriage, you will actually be improving your marriage. Marriage Encounter helps to turn a good marriage into a GREAT marriage. Check out their website to read how other couples have described how the weekend changed their marriages, and to find weekends.

Pornography

Pornography has a major impact on marriage and relationships. Please visit this page for a variety of resources and information about pornography, chastity and sexual purity.

Recipe for a Happy Marriage

Click here to read a Recipe for a Happy Catholic Marriage.

Marriage Preparation

Please visit our Marriage Preparation page for the diocesan policies and resources.

Retrouvaille 
Pronounced retro-vi, this is a program that helps couples heal and renew their marriages. Do you feel lost or alone in your marriage? Are you frustrated, hurt or angry with your spouse? Have you thought about separation or divorce?  Retrouvaille offers tools needed to rediscover a loving marriage relationship. Thousands of couples headed for cold, unloving relationships or divorce have successfully overcome their marriage problems by attending the program. Find out more from their website.
 

Book Picks

 Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan

The US Bishops' Pastoral Letter on Marriage is an excellent resource for understanding the beauty of the Church's vision for Marriage.  It provides a thorough, yet succinct coverage of this beautiful vocation. 

Read it online here.

The Five Love Languages 

by Dr. Gary Chapman - OUTSTANDING book about communication in marriage.  It's changing lives every day!  This is a great resource for understanding how you and your spouse communicate love.  Spouses often communicate love differently, which leads to misunderstandings and heartbreak.  This is the perfect resource to grow in your marriage!

 

Good News About Sex & Marriage 

by Christopher West - A "new way" of understanding our sexuality that's sweeping across the planet. Created by Blessed John Paul II, the Theology of the Body is transforming marriages by showing the truth and beauty of God's design for marriage. Learn more from the book.  You can also read articles about the Theology of the Body at on his website.

 

For Better Forever: A Catholic Guide to Lifelong Marriage 

by Gregory K. Popcak. Dr. Popcak is a Catholic pyschologist and author. He also hosts a radio show on Ave Maria Radio.

Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage

Nationally syndicated radio hosts and international family life speakers Greg and Lisa Popcak combine decades of counseling, the latest findings in marriage research, twenty-three years of marriage, and the wisdom of Catholic teaching to offer newlyweds a master plan for creating a strong bond in the first five years of marriage. 

Married Saints and Blesseds 

by Ferdinand Holbock. From their website: "Countless saints have been priests or religious, living out lives of penance and sacrifice for the good of the Church. But many Catholics don't realize that married couples are called to holiness as well. Fr. Holböck's tells the inspiring stories of over 200 married saints and blesseds."

The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband and The ABCs of Choosing a Good Wife 

both by Steve Wood, provide essential information for the process of discerning who and who NOT to marry.
 
Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and Can Save Yours Too) 

by Greg and Julie Alexander.  "Greg and Julie Alexander had concluded that divorce was the only way out of what they thought was a lifeless, loveless marriage. Basing their life together on the things society says are important took them spiraling downward until they literally hit rock bottom. Quite unexpectedly, a faithful priest guided them back to the truths of the Church, and they were able to restore the love they once had for each other. "Marriage 911" chronicles Greg and Julie's journey back to marital happiness built on a strong Catholic faith and offers emergency hope to struggling couples."