The following are Marriage Preparation Classes that are accepted by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. You must complete one of the following classes to be married at The Church of the Nativity. Please check with your celebrant to find out which option would be better for you.

Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend
The weekend begins on Friday evening and ends on Sunday afternoon. These encounters are usually held once a month at either the Vallombrosa Retreat Center in Menlo Park or the Mercy Center in Burlingame. You may visit them at www.sfcee.org for more information and dates, or e-mail them at catholicsfee@aol.com. These sessions fill up quickly so it is best to register early.

Marriage Preparation - 1 day classes
Engaging the Heart: Pre-Cana Workshop is also held at the Vallombrosa Center in Menlo Park. The workshop is held 5 or 6 times a year from 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. followed by a Mass, which is optional. For more information go to www.vallombrosa.org and look under "Catholic Marriage Prep;" or contact Nancy Greenfield at (650) 233-9795.

The Commuter Weekend Marriage Preparation Class is held at St. Vincent School in San Rafael one Saturday a month from 8:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Their website is www.sfcatholic.com/prep. You may e-mail your questions to prep@sfcatholic.com, or call (707) 552-3394.

Saturday for Engaged Couples is held at the Paulist Center at Old St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco. It is held 5 or 6 times a year and space is limited. Please check www.oldsaintmarys.org/html/marriage/marriage.htm for more information, or call Julie Todd at (415) 288-3809.

Nativity Church Marriage Preparation Classes
This is a 4-session course, one evening a week for 4 weeks. The classes presented in this format allow for reflection and observation between sessions. Please e-mail Wendy Ames or call Deacon Dominick or his wife Mary Ellen Peloso at (650) 269-7794 for more details.