Archbishop Eamon Martin has said that the Church in Ireland is being called to a deeper, parish-rooted model of marriage preparation and support—one that sees marriage not as an isolated event but as a lifelong journey of faith. His comments come as bishops and Accord, the Catholic marriage care service, continue to reflect on how the agency can be more closely integrated into the pastoral life of local communities.
Speaking about recent discussions and the wider synodal process, the Archbishop acknowledged that Church leaders had previously tended to rely on Accord as the primary provider of marriage preparation. “For a long time we relied upon Accord to look after marriage preparation and perhaps took Accord for granted!” he said. While emphasising the organisation’s significant contribution, he noted that “Accord forms a vital, but not the only, part of marriage preparation and support, which essentially is an intrinsic part of the life of the parish community.”
Archbishop Martin highlighted that facilitators are already drawn from parish communities and that engaged couples come from parish settings. The challenge now, he said, is to strengthen that relationship: “that we might link more closely the life of the parish with the vital work of Accord.”
Tracing Accord’s history back to the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (CMAC), he described it as “a wonderful way of involving the lay apostolate in support of marriage.” That legacy continues to evolve as dioceses work to ensure Accord’s mission is supported by other parish-based initiatives.
As part of the synodal pathway, Accord NI engaged in wide-ranging conversations with couples, facilitators, counsellors and parish representatives. These discussions, the Archbishop said, explored how Accord fits into the broader “catechumenate of marriage”—a lifelong itinerary that begins in the family home, is supported by schools, develops through engagement, is deepened in sacramental preparation, and continues into family life, parenthood, and times of difficulty.
“In other words marriage is not an event but a journey and a vocation which needs a continuum of support, not just a once-off,” he said. He also welcomed the presence of other ecclesial groups supporting marriage and family life, such as Couples for Christ, Marriage and Engaged Encounter, and Retrouvaille.
One concrete development already underway is a new pastoral role for priests at the end of the Accord marriage preparation course. “Priests are invited now to play a personal role… meeting the couple, discussing how the prep has gone, making links for the future,” he said.
The Archbishop stressed that Accord remains central but must not be left isolated: “My vision is that Accord will remain central to the overall itinerary of marriage and family, but not left on their own.”
He outlined a vision in which the Church accompanies couples from early life through courtship, engagement, immediate preparation, the wedding liturgy, early family life, baptismal preparation and beyond—“an itinerary, it’s a catechumenate essentially and through all of that you’re developing in your own faith.”
The family has emerged as a priority theme in the Irish synodal process, alongside catechesis, formation and youth ministry. Archbishop Martin said all these areas stand to benefit from a renewed vision of a marriage catechumenate that accompanies people throughout life.
