PreCana/Cohabitation guidance?

LaurenMarie1234

Hi ladies -

We just signed up for PreCana in midFeb for our June wedding. We're doing all of our marriage prep through our Parish in Chicago, although the wedding will be in MI. The Priest who is marrying us in MI is aware we live together, but we've never addressed it with the Deacon of our local Parish. Our Chicago Parish would figure it out if they looked in their records (we registered with the same address) but we've never actually brought it to their attention... Should I be concerned?

Also, any general guidance on what to expect at PreCana would be incredibly helpful. I'm a bit nervous on how big of an issue our cohabitation will be...

Thank you!

professorscience

I honestly think it varies depending on where you are and who your teacher/sponsor couple is.  We recently had dinner with some other couples who had our same sponsor couple, and they all had bought houses together prior to getting engaged because buying a house was a more practical thing to do than get married at the time.  I did Engaged Encounter, and just from talking to other Catholics on the DFW board, I can tell you every course is different.

Eliz77

IME, with only speaking to two priests, professor is correct. We had two "issues"-living together and the fact my FI was baptized Catholic but had no further religious education. The 1st one we spoke to was very discouraging and animate that we were "sinners", "fallen from grace", etc, etc, as long as the two issues were present. The 2nd one was very welcoming and supportive and while he did say,"living together is a no-no" and encouraged my FI to get to know our religion, that was as far as he went and promptly pulled out all the forms we would need to reserve our wedding date in the Church. So, I'll repeat what others have told me: don't dispair until you speak to your Chicago priest. But if I were you, I think I'd rather clear it up sooner than later. I'd imagine if your Church denies you, the MI Church should be able to help you figure things out since they accepted you?

Karen's MOH

Our priest did not care at all they we lived together-- he actually assumed it when we were filling out our initial paperwork with him. So don't dispair until you meet with the new one. Also, every couple in our group at Pre Cana was living together, which I thought was kind of funny. 

Hilraythebride

I don't think the living together thing will be a big deal at all.  Just be honest about it.  We did the engaged encounter and most couples there were living together, some had children either together or from other marriages and previous life, and all had obviously talked to the priest and will be getting married.  Shouldn't be a problem my FI and I have been living together since we were 3 months in the relationship and it hasn't been a problem with the church at all