Dear Family and Friends,

As we prepare for our wedding day, we humbly ask for your prayers. This season of engagement has been a time of deep joy and growth for us, and we know that your support and prayers are a crucial part of our journey. We invite you to join us in asking for the intercession of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who exemplified faithful and loving marriage. We also seek the maternal guidance and help of Our Mother of Perpetual Help as we strive to build a marriage rooted in faith, hope, and love.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this sacrament. Know of our prayers and love for you!!

With love and gratitude,

Nick and Audrey

Heavenly Father,

We lift up to You all engaged couples, especially Nick and Audrey.

Grant them Your peace as they prepare for the sacrament of marriage.

Calm their hearts and minds, and ease any anxieties or fears they may have.

May their love for each other be a reflection of Your divine love.

Guide them with wisdom and understanding, and help them to trust in Your plan for their lives.

Surround them with Your grace and the support of family and friends.

Through the intercession of Saints Anne and Joachim, and Our Mother of Perpetual Help, May they find joy and peace in this time of preparation. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

O Holy Saints Anne and Joachim, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus,

We ask for your intercession as we prepare for our marriage. Help us to imitate your example of faithfulness, patience, and love. Pray that we may be granted the grace to build a strong and holy family, and that we may always seek to follow God's will in our lives. Through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

"Engagement is a time of special commitment and intense preparation for marriage. It is a time when love is deepened and purified, and when the future spouses grow in mutual understanding and respect. In the period of engagement, couples are called to deepen their spiritual lives together, to pray for each other, and to seek God's guidance in their relationship. This spiritual preparation is crucial for building a marriage that is rooted in faith and open to God's grace."

Throughout their lives and relationship, Nick and Audrey have been inspired by the beauty of many saints, each contributing to their growth as individuals and soon-to-be husband and wife.

Their journey has been shaped by the teachings and lives of those who have gone before us in serving God with heroic virtue. With that in mind, Nick and Audrey would like to share just a few of our favorite saints, hoping to inspire others as they grow in love and faith together.

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla beautifully expressed her commitment to love and family when she wrote, "I have found you, and I intend to get myself totally in order to form a truly Christian family" in a letter to her fiancé, Pietro Molla. This quote resonates deeply with the couple, as it exemplifies the profound dedication and selflessness that characterize a loving and faith-filled marriage. Saint Gianna’s life is a shining example of Christian charity and generosity; she prioritized her family and demonstrated the importance of strong motherhood through her unwavering love and sacrifices.

Audrey and Nick admire how Saint Gianna embodied the essence of nurturing and self-giving love, reminding her of the vital role that a mother plays in the family and the impact of faith in shaping a home. By embracing the call to form a Christian family, she inspires others to cultivate a spirit of love, compassion, and service. This quote and Saint Gianna’s legacy motivate Audrey and Nick as they prepare for their own journey of marriage, emphasizing the beauty of commitment, family, and faith.

Audrey's pick, Saint Pope John Paul II, has always held a special place in her heart as a personal patron and teacher. His preaching, particularly his Theology of the Body audiences, have significantly shaped her understanding of love and marriage. That understanding has shaped Audrey and Nicholas' commitment to a relationship rooted in faith and mutual respect.

Pope John Paul II’s insights into the beauty of marriage highlight the unique dignity of men and women, emphasizing that "the ultimate purpose of [each] is to become a gift for one another." His profound understanding of the sacrament of marriage encourages couples to recognize their vocation as a reflection of divine love. Additionally, he stated, "Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself," reminding every couple of the importance of selflessness in their journey together. He also called married people to "stand for life! To respect and defend the mystery of life, always, and everywhere" urging us to offer real help and encouragement for our friends and family welcoming new life into the world and those preparing for and mourning the end of life, and all its stages in between.

That message deeply informs Audrey's daily work as a nurse, where she strives to uphold the sanctity of life in every moment. It inspires Nick and Audrey as they prepare for their future together, instilling in them a deep desire to welcome many happy and holy children into their family. Through the wisdom and prayers of John Paul II, they are inspired to embrace their roles as faithful partners for life, striving to create a marriage that reflects the beauty of God’s design for human relationships and the preciousness of life itself. His teachings not only strengthen their bond but also serve as a beacon of hope and encouragement as they look forward to building a family rooted in faith and love.

One of Nicholas' favorite saints, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in the late first century, offered simple yet profound insights into the beauty of Christian life.

Writing to his dear friend, St Polycarp, he exhorted the Christian faithful to "labor together with one another, strive in company together, run together, suffer together, rest together, and awake together, as the stewards, and associates, and servants of God." While this is the call of all Christians, it has particular value for Nicholas and Audrey as they approach marriage.

On the day that they promise to one another "to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life," Audrey and Nicholas will be seeking to follow the method modeled by St Ignatius' masterful preaching. They will remain fixed on "the prize set before [them], immortality and eternal life."