Cathedral Parish in Madison is implementing a new marriage preparation protocol, Monsignor Kevin Holmes said in a letter published in the church's Aug. 16 bulletin.

“Until now, marriage preparation has involved the engaged couples fulfilling a number of requirements— offered in various formats by different people, some in the parish and some at the diocesan level,” Holmes said. “For the most part, the engaged couple encountered a series of ‘strangers.’ Under the new protocol, named Witness to Love, 'the engaged couple does all their preparation with one couple in the parish.'”

The mentor couple is chosen by the engaged couple, not by the church.

“We do ask that the mentor couple be practicing Catholics and members of this parish, who have been married at least five years,” Holmes said.

“The Witness to Love program uses materials that the mentor and engaged couples work though together— with the hope that this process is enriching for both couples,” Holmes said. ”Where the Witness to Love process has been used, there has been a notably lower rate of divorce and a dramatically increased level of Mass attendance and parish involvement. That’s our hope!”