From Catholic sexual ethics to biology to foreplay to positions, our articles are a reference point for all your Catholic sexual queries.
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When Is the Right Time to Get Married? (Stop Waiting for Certainty)
How do you know when it’s the right time to get married? The answer is simpler and harder than you think: you won’t have perfect certainty before you decide. Many couples today get stuck in years of dating or cohabitation, mistaking comfort for discernment. This article challenges you to stop waiting, recognize the cost of staying stuck, and use a clear framework to decide whether it’s time to marry or move on.
Our First In-Person Talk and What Comes Next
This past week, Theo gave our first in-person talk for the Apostolate for Marital Intimacy, focusing on emotional intimacy and communication in marriage. The response made one thing clear: couples are looking for practical, faithful guidance they can actually use. We are now opening the door for parishes and ministries to host in-person or virtual events. Join us tonight at 7 PM CDT for our live Q&A on YouTube, where we will also be giving away a copy of Love and Responsibility. We are also just under $400 from our monthly goal, and your support helps us continue this work.
Healing from Chastity Culture in Marriage
You did everything right… so why does intimacy still feel so difficult? Many couples carry hidden messages from chastity culture into marriage, where fear, guilt, and confusion around sex don’t simply disappear after the wedding. If you’ve ever struggled to reconcile “sex is bad” with “sex is holy,” you’re not alone. The good news is that healthy, joyful intimacy can be learned. Here’s how to begin moving from fear to freedom in your marriage.
A New Resource for Military Couples: Free Relationship Coaching
Military life places unique demands on relationships, and many couples are left trying to figure things out on their own. To provide a clear, confidential starting point, we are now offering up to three free 50-minute relationship coaching sessions for currently serving military and uniformed service members and their partner. This program offers practical guidance to help you address communication challenges, conflict, and disconnection without involving the military health system. If you are looking for real support and a clear next step, this is a simple place to begin.
Can Catholic Spouses Exchange Sexy Photos With Each Other?
In this article, we will answer whether or not Catholic spouses can morally send each other sexually risqué photos of each other to spice up intimacy or prepare for the conjugal act.
A Blessed Easter and What’s Coming Next
Celebrate Easter with us and see what’s ahead. A Mass is being offered for your intentions, and we’re grateful for the growing support that is making this mission possible. We’ve just completed a major writing push with 25 new articles addressing real challenges in Catholic marriages, from mental health to desire differences and practical intimacy. These will be released over the coming months, with early access available on Patreon. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay connected and be part of building a Catholic renewal in marital intimacy.
Great and Holy Week: The Week of the Bridegroom in the Byzantine Church and Some Contributions of the East to Catholic Theology on Marriage
In this article, Theo McManigal, who is a Byzantine Catholic, shares why the Byzantine Catholic Church calls Holy Week the “Week of the Bridgeroom” and he also shares some insights from Una Caro which have helped him see how his Byzantine Catholicism relates closely to the work he does for this apostolate.
Answering Objections Against Oral Stimulation Within Marriage
In this article, we thoroughly debunk a couple common objections against the morality of oral sexual stimulation used as foreplay between Catholic spouses.
The Loss of My Two Sons - The Story of How It Happened Through My Eyes and How Tragedy Can Strengthen Your Marriage
Theo McManigal shares the story of the tragic loss of his two sons and how this taught him how tragedy can strengthen marriages if the graces it offers are cooperated with. A good and loving marriage can survive and even grow stronger through any of life's difficulties, and the way mine has sustained me through these tragedies is a big part of why I am passionate about serving married couples.
Sexual Morality During Spousal Separation
Spousal separation can make a trial out of nearly every facet of life, including our sexuality. In this article we address how separated spouses are supposed to understand their sexuality and the obligations attached to it during such a confusing state of life.
Spring Update: Coaching Availability, New Clients, and What to Expect
A few coaching spots have recently opened as several couples completed their programs, but the usual spring surge of inquiries has already begun. In this update, James Boyd Walther explains his current coaching availability, how the intake process works, and what couples can expect if they decide to begin coaching. The article also previews upcoming developments, including the future introduction of Catholic sex therapy under clinical supervision.
Support Our New Catholic Marriage Projects
We need your support as our Apostolate takes on several ambitious projects to faithfully serve married couples by helping them better understand the teachings of the Catholic Church in a clear and accessible way.
Beyond Makeup Sex: Using Intimacy to Navigate Grief and Conflict
Most couples are familiar with make-up sex, but what about grief sex? Or intentionally using sexual intimacy to calm conflict before a difficult conversation? This evidence-based guide explores how sexual connection affects bonding hormones like oxytocin, reduces stress and cortisol, and strengthens marital intimacy during seasons of grief and relational tension. Learn how practices like grief sex, fight sex, and make-up sex can support emotional resilience, conflict resolution, and deeper connection in marriage when approached with consent, communication, and maturity.
Can Spouses Engage in Any Oral Stimulation Outside the Conjugal Act?
In the past, our Apostolate has tackled whether or not oral stimulation can be done as preludes to the conjugal act. But in this article, we want to answer whether limited expressions of oral stimulation could be done even outside the conjugal act itself, outside a proximate danger of orgasm.
Will You Go to Hell for Disagreeing with St. Alphonsus on a Moral Issue? Correcting a Common Myth
In this article, we debunk a common myth circulated by certain voices online which states that disagreeing with Alphonsus on a matter of marital chastity necessarily puts your soul in jeopardy.
Sensate Focus: A Gentle Way to Reduce Pressure and Restore Presence in Marriage
Sensate Focus is a simple, structured way to reduce pressure and anxiety around physical intimacy in marriage. Rather than focusing on performance or outcomes, it helps couples return their attention to the body and the present moment. This article introduces how Sensate Focus is used carefully in marital coaching and why it can be a helpful support for couples seeking greater ease, trust, and connection in their physical relationship.
The Morality of Multiple Orgasms During Sex For Both Men and Women
In this article, we discuss the morality of either the husband or wife experiencing multiple orgasms in a single session of conjugal intercourse.
Should Intimacy Be Sought While the Other Spouse Is Upset With You?
In this article, we explore how the desire for intimacy should be handled during periods of emotional distance between spouses.
Understanding the Practical Basics of Marital Chastity: Complete vs Incomplete Sexual Acts
In this article we walk you through some key terms and concept that will help you understand the fundamentals of marital chastity which may help illuminate our articles a bit more.
Can Spouses Watch Pornography Together?
This article provides a theologically rich answer to whether spouses can watch porn together within marriage. The Church’s teaching against pornography is very clear, but most of what the Church has taught addresses pornography outside of marriage. Here, we address whether it can ever be watched inside marriage.