News and Events

About Our Pre-Cana Class

Preparing couples for the Sacrament of Marriage is one of our parish's most serious responsibilities with our parish Pre-Cana classes being a special opportunity for the Church to share Christ's vision for marriage and family life with engaged couples.   Formal preparation is required before the reception of any Sacrament, with participation in a Pre-Cana program required of any couple wanting to be married in a church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Our parish Pre-Cana program allows you and your fiancé to complete part of your preparation at home and part in-person. This year’s Pre-Cana in-person weekend is scheduled for Friday, February 28, from 7-9 PM and Saturday, March 1st from  9 AM-5 PM on the campus of St. Anne’s Church of St. Paul of the Cross Parish. This class is open to all couples, including those of other parishes. Please register by February 24th, using this link https://forms.gle/pZj1hoVtLNSLf2Y28 , emailing Don Fontana (dfontana@stpaulofthecross.com) or calling the parish office (412) 531-5964. Please bring $60.00 per couple, cash or check (made payable to St. Paul of the Cross Parish), on Saturday morning to cover the cost of this retreat.   Additional information can be found below: 

At Home:

We will be using the BELOVED series on the FORMED website.  If you do not have a FORMED account. please register for FORMED using the following instructions: 

1.) Navigate to FORMED.org
2.) Click on "INDIVIDUALS” (in the top right corner)
3.) Enter your email address
4.) Find St. Paul of the Cross Parish by entering our zip code “15234”
5.) Complete Name and Email Address fields

*(If you already have a FORMED account, please ignore these directions and sign in to your account)  

Find the drop down menu in the top left corner of the landing page.  Click on "PROGRAMS" and then on "THE SACRAMENTS." BELOVED should appear in the second row of choices. 
There are two parts to this series: 1) The Mystery & Meaning of Marriage; and 2) Living Marriage.  Once you have signed in to your account, please email me dfontana@stpaulofthecross.com and I will send you the pdf of the Couples Guide for part one. Let me know when you complete Part 1 and I will email you the Couples Guide for Part 2. Please see the suggested schedule below for the timely completion of all sections. 

In Person:

We will meet at the Convent Dining Room on the campus of St. Anne Church on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st,  . We plan on reviewing the highlights of the program and discussing your responses to the Couple's Discussion and Couple's Activity for both parts throughout the weekend. A detailed schedule for the weekend will be emailed the week of February 23rd.  Questions should be directed to Don Fontana at dfontana@stpaulofthecross.com.