KUCHING — The first batch of three couples attending the Smart Loving Engaged Programme (pre-marriage course), conducted in Bahasa Malaysia, completed their 7-sessions course on 9 December.
Their first session commenced on 4 November at ACCPC, St Joseph’s Cathedral. The programme was subsequently transferred to Blessed Sacrament Church.
Cinta Bijak (translated in BM) is based on a mission to love, communicate, and to get to know one another well. It is also about building unity based on values and ideals, sacred embrace (body language), natural family planning (Billings ovulation method) and being soul mates for life.
Smart Loving Engaged, offers a uniquely integrated approach to Catholic marriage preparation through educational insights, opportunities for personal discovery through practical skills, and tools which can be used throughout married life. Personal mentoring and time flexibility make this course acceptable.
Due to time constraints, distance and work commitments, participants can fix their own time schedules. They are required to make up for any missed sessions, before being allowed to move on to the next.
Facilitated by trained mentors (husband and wife team), Smart Loving Engaged brings the perspective and experience of both husband and wife to each topic. The examples and personal stories/experiences of the mentors will further bring the concepts and ideas alive, making the course relatable and relevant.
Each participant is provided with a work-book. The topics are explained and discussed through video, group exercise, sharing and reflection.
The three participating couples were already legally married and registered with Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN), but their marriages have yet to be consecrated in the Catholic Church, through the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Feedback from participants: The 3-hour session is enough for us to follow and understand the topics. Smart Loving Engaged work-books with the given examples, help us in decision- making through the process of stop-reflect-connect. The video presentation is highly informative.
The course was facilitated by James Noik, and the husband-wife team of Austin and Maria Minjap. It concluded with the rector of BSC, Fr Felix Au presenting certificates to the couples, followed by a simple fellowship.
For more news, visit: Blessed Sacrament Church
