A couple at the counselling session in Ranchi on Sunday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Marriages may be made in heaven, but they are unmade on earth in the absence of three Cs — care, commitment and communication — said Father Vincent, a well-known counsellor in the capital.

The septuagenarian concluded a three-day pre-marital counselling workshop on Sunday at Social Development Centre, near St Mary’s Cathedral on Purulia Road, in which 158 couples from Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Bengal and Chhattisgarh took part.

“Rising numbers of divorce and domestic discord bothers me,” said Father Vincent. “The age of consumerism and intolerance has replaced ‘we’ with ‘me’, which causes ties to snap,” added the priest who started his pre-marital workshops way back in 1985 as an annual venture but now conducts three such meets a year.

Though he stressed on love and affection as the essence of marriage, Father Vincent also spoke on communication and basic human values to nurture the relationship between a husband and wife.

He also spoke about the present socio-economic milieu, where moral and human values were getting buried under other inducements.

“Lack of commitment and misunderstanding cause couples to lead separate lives while staying together. Separate nests under one roof are not uncommon. But effort should be made to bridge differences rather than keeping silent and watching them widen over time,” said Father Vincent.

Couples appreciated the session. Kulwant Lakra from Orissa, attending the meet with fiancée Poonam Bara from Ranchi, said he learnt about giving importance to each other’s thoughts in marriage.

Another engaged couple Ajit Lakra and Seema Hansda said they focused on solving problems mutually. “This type of counselling really helps couples,” Ajit said, adding similar efforts should be made for other communities too.

Bokaro resident Mukut Tirkey said that maximum investment should be made in the partnership rather than running after money. “A close-knit and loving family is any person’s greatest strength. People forget that,” he said.