Pre-Cana is a day-long marriage preparation program emphasizing topics important to a healthy marriage as witnessed to from the experiences of married couples. Topics covered include Marriage as a Sacrament, Communication, Finances, Conflict Resolution, Sexuality
and Natural Family Planning, and Marriage Spirituality and Prayer. There are currently seven Pre-Cana weekend locations throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque: Ames, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Dyersville, Mason City, and New Hampton.

Engaged Encounter  is a weekend-long retreat experience (Friday evening through Sunday afternoon--including staying overnight) for couples preparing for marriage. This weekend is an opportunity for couples to put aside the worries of the outside world for two and a half days in order to concentrate on building their relationship. It offers engaged couples a chance to get a head start on a successful marriage through the process of sharing thoughts and feelings on topics vital to marital happiness, including Communication in Marriage, Conflict Resolution, Finances, Sexuality, Marriage Spirituality, and more. This process is presented to engaged couples through the life experiences of married couples along with a team priest. The weekend also includes opportunities for prayer (including Mass) and interaction with other engaged couples. Engaged Encounter offers an opportunity for couples to broaden insights into their relationship and to spend time discussing important aspects of their relationship prior to marriage.