“Families who accompany other families – we often call them mentors – may be the greatest fruit of the synod process.”

– Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, November 2015

The Companion (Sponsor) Couple Program is a marriage preparation program offered in many parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Louisville that uses the philosophy of “accompaniment,” mentioned above by Archbishop Kurtz, as its basis.

Trained couples who have been married at least five years meet with engaged couples to share their personal experience of Christian marriage through a one-couple to one-couple approach.

The flexibility and adaptability of the meetings, combined with the personal and pastoral focus of sharing, provides a powerfully effective experience for the engaged couple as they learn and practice skills they can actually use in their marriage with immediate and constructive feedback provided by their sponsors.

Companion (Sponsor) couples meet with engaged couples four times in the home of the sponsor couple, with each of these meetings lasting approximately two hours. Each session offers the engaged couple opportunities to reflect and share with each other and with the sponsor couple their thoughts and feelings on numerous topics they will encounter during their marriage.

For more information on this program or to find a parish in your area which currently participates in the program, please contact the Family Ministries Office at family@archlou.org.