Marriage

Jesus brought to full awareness the divine plan for marriage. In John's Gospel, Christ's first miracle occurs at the wedding in Cana. “The Church attaches great importance to Jesus' presence at the wedding in Carna. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ’s presence”

(CCC, no. 1613)

Jesus unequivocally taught the indissolubility of marriage:

Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate. (Mt 19:3 – 6)

Marriage is a Sacrament that unites a man and a woman who freely express, without coercion, their commitment to unite for life, professing their love before God and Holy Mother Church, which implies loving each other, respecting each other as long as they both live, and lovingly receiving God's children and educating them according to the Law of Christ and his Church (Catechism #1625 - 1631).

What should be kept in mind to begin the preparation process?

To be married in our parish, couples must participate in various marriage preparation programs and meet other requirements.

Complete the application form on our website. You will receive a call to schedule an appointment with a priest or Deacon in charge to begin the marriage preparation process.

It is recommended that you begin the preparation process a minimum of six months prior to your desired wedding date to complete all necessary requirements.

During the wedding preparation process, the time should be one of learning and growing in your love for each other including actively practicing your Catholic faith. Therefore, we strongly encourage our couples to attend Holy Mass on Sundays, go more frequently to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, but particularly a few days before the wedding ceremony. Faithful reception of these sacraments will deepen your spiritual life and enhance the quality of your wedding liturgy.

Parents: How do you fit into the wedding preparations?

From the beginning and throughout the preparation of your wedding, we communicate only with the bride and groom.

The bride and groom are the only ones who can communicate to us the decisions they have already made with the pastor.

We thank the parents for their interest and concern in such an important event, but we remind them that decisions and arrangements are the sole responsibility of the couple.