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 Anxiety Is Impacting Intimacy in Your Marriage
When anxiety is present in a marriage, intimacy often becomes one more source of pressure rather than a place of connection. Many couples fall into patterns of avoidance or tense, unfulfilling experiences that only reinforce the problem over time. This article breaks down how clinical anxiety affects sexual intimacy and offers clear, practical steps to begin changing that dynamic. You will learn how to reduce pressure, rebuild safety, and reintroduce intimacy in a way that actually works. If anxiety has been shaping your marriage, there is a path forward.
Are You Actually Discerning Marriage, or Just Dating Comfortably?
Dating can feel comfortable and enjoyable, but comfort alone does not mean a relationship is moving toward marriage. Without intentional discernment, couples can drift without clarity or direction. This article encourages dating couples to ask honest questions about their future and approach the relationship with purpose. True discernment brings clarity, not pressure, and helps couples move forward with confidence.
Is It Time to Divorce Your Wife? Read This First
Thinking about divorce? Before you make a decision that will impact your children, your finances, and your vocation, you need to understand the full cost. Divorce is not the clean escape it’s often presented to be, and it does not solve the deeper patterns that led you here. This article challenges husbands to take responsibility, lead with intention, and fight for their marriage before walking away. For Catholic men, it also addresses the reality that civil divorce does not end a valid sacramental marriage. Don’t make a permanent decision without doing the work first.
Saint Michael and the Battle Against Accusation in Marriage
This week’s feast of the Apparition of St. Michael gives married couples a clear spiritual focus: resist accusation before it settles into the home. Pope Francis warned that the devil seeks to separate us from God and from each other, and marriage is one of the places where that division can quietly grow. Harsh interpretations, repeated blame, and silent contempt can do real damage long before a major conflict appears. St. Michael reminds us to guard communion with prayer, humility, and hope in grace.
Your Wedding Night: Letting Go of the Pressure
The wedding night carries a lot of pressure, but it does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. Many couples are too exhausted, overwhelmed, or simply not ready, and that is completely normal. Whether intimacy happens that night or later, what matters is beginning your marriage with patience, generosity, and realistic expectations. Your first experience may be awkward or even uncomfortable, but this is something you will grow into together. And if you need guidance along the way, you do not have to figure it out alone.
Renowned Moral Theologian on the Do’s and Don’ts of Sexual Love Between Spouses Outside the Marital Act
Periodically, we plan on dropping excerpts from highly esteemed traditional moral theologians on questions pertaining to marital chastity and sexual morality. Many of these are taken from our Compendium which you can access here. Today’s excerpt is from Hieronymous Noldin, SJ.
A Husband’s Crash Course in Natural Family Planning (NFP)
Natural Family Planning can feel overwhelming for many husbands, especially if it only briefly came up during marriage prep. This crash course breaks down the basics, helping you understand your wife’s cycle, the main NFP methods, and what it actually means for your marriage. It also addresses the real challenges couples face, especially when timing and desire do not align. Most importantly, it invites you to step in, communicate, and lead well in this area of your relationship. If you want to go deeper, there are resources and support available to help you both navigate NFP with confidence.
The Weekly Reset: 30 Minutes That Strengthen Your Marriage
Strong marriages do not drift apart overnight, but they can slowly lose connection without intentional time together. A weekly reset offers a simple way to stay connected through a short, focused conversation each week. By prioritizing even 15 to 30 minutes of intentional check-in, couples can strengthen communication and prevent small issues from growing. This habit keeps your marriage grounded, consistent, and moving forward together.
Can Wives Orgasm Outside of Sex? Defending the Church’s Teaching
If the female orgasm is not procreative, why can’t it take place outside of sex along with other incomplete sexual acts? This article offers a robust explanation for why the Church’s teaches against this.
When Marriage Feels Stuck, Christ Still Comes Near
Across three liturgical calendars, this Sunday speaks to couples who feel spiritually or emotionally stuck. The risen Christ does not avoid places of weakness. He steps into them, asks whether we want healing, and begins to restore what has grown tired or immobile. With Saint Joseph the Worker and Saint Athanasius in view this week, married couples are invited into quiet fidelity, patient endurance, and one concrete act of healing grace.
What If It’s Been Too Long Since You’ve Had Sex?: Breaking Relational Inertia in Marriage
It’s been months, maybe even years, since you’ve had sex with your spouse. You both want it, yet nothing happens. This article uncovers the hidden force of “relational inertia” that keeps couples stuck and challenges you to make a simple but powerful choice. If you’re tired of waiting for the perfect moment, it’s time to break the cycle and start rebuilding intimacy.
Good Isn’t the Goal: Why Your Marriage Needs Intentional Growth
Many marriages settle into a place that feels “good,” but good is not the goal. Without intentional effort, even stable relationships can slowly drift into complacency. Growth in marriage does not require major changes, just small, consistent choices to prioritize connection and pursuit. This article invites couples to move from autopilot to intentional love, building something deeper over time.
How to Have a Happy Catholic Wedding Day (Without Losing Your Marriage Before It Starts)
Wedding planning should bring you closer together, not pull you apart. Yet many couples enter marriage exhausted, divided, and burdened by expectations that have nothing to do with the sacrament. This guide challenges the cultural norms surrounding weddings and refocuses you on what actually matters: your vows, your unity, and the foundation of your married life. If you want a peaceful, meaningful wedding day, it starts by making intentional choices now. Your marriage is the goal, not the performance.
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.