Diocesan marriage policy requires you to complete an evaluation of your relationship. This evaluation is commonly referred to as a personal inventory. The one primarily utilized in the Sioux Falls Diocese is FOCCUS.
FOCCUS stands for Facilitating, Open, Couple, Communication, Understanding and Study. It is designed to help you learn more about yourselves and your unique relationship, strengths and weaknesses. It is a tool to help you identify and work through a multitude of topics, including lifestyle expectations, friends and interests, communication, problem solving, religion and values, parenting, family of origin, sexuality, finances, and others. It is not a compatibility test or a predictor of success or failure. The ultimate goal is to facilitate open and honest communication.
Therefore, it is important to complete the inventory in a timely manner and to answer the questions honestly without consulting one another. Based on your answers, a report is created for your priest or Marriage Sponsor Couple to use in facilitating discussion on these topics.
