Marriage

Authentic married love is caught up into divine love...so that this love may lead the spouses to God..."and in God they find the strength to carry on their roles and responsibilities.

Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 48

Marriage is a serious and sacred commitment. This union of a man and a woman is the basic unit of human society and of the Church. In this unique relationship, two persons make a solemn commitment to be totally for the other. Therefore, it deserves the most careful attention and preparation.

Every marriage shares in God the Father’s creative love as an image of the Holy Trinity. Marriage in the Church has been elevated to a sacrament by Christ and gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit as it is lived out in the secular world. Spouses, therefore, enter into a new relationship with God who becomes permanently present in and central to their shared life.

Marrying in the Catholic Church
Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to get married. As you prepare for your wedding day, the Church desires to assist you in preparing for your life-long marriage. The first step is to contact your parish, at least six months before your intended wedding date. 

Your pastor will schedule a series of interviews with you and your fiancé in order to prepare you pastorally for marriage.
 
Marriage Preparation Course
Prior to your wedding date you will enroll in a marriage preparation course. There are a number of possibilities which your pastor will discuss with you.

“[marriage preparation] …is a special opportunity for the engaged to rediscover and deepen the faith received in Baptism and nourished by their Christian upbringing. In this way, they come to recognize and freely accept their vocation to follow Christ and to serve the Kingdom of God in the married state.” – Familiaris Consortio, 51

What If One of Us Has Previously Been Married
For those who have previously been married, whether civilly or in another religious ceremony, no wedding date can be set until freedom to marry is established by the Chancery. Your pastor can help you sort through this, including directing you to the Marriage Tribunal if necessary.

For Your Marriage helps couples at all stages of life to understand and live God’s plan for happy, holy marriages by providing educational and spiritual resources. The websiteis part of the National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This initiative is to communicate the meaning and value of married life for the Church and for society.