Through the power of God, two become one
Marriage is very special, and a significant and wonderful celebration. Marriage in the Catholic Church is a very special event: it is not just about a wedding day, but a lifetime of love, fidelity and commitment. Here we explain the procedures for marriage in the Catholic Church, and the specific details of weddings here at Saint Mary’s.
In the Roman Catholic Church, we believe that marriage is a state of life ordained by Almighty God, which was blessed by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church. This means that marriage has blessings and gifts, as well as duties and obligations.
The most important aspects of the Roman Catholic understanding of marriage are that it is:
- FOR LIFE: it is our faith that a valid marriage cannot be ended. We do not believe in divorce.
- EXCLUSIVE: a couple give themselves to each other and no one else.
- OPEN TO THE GIFT OF CHILDREN: marriage should not be “closed” in on a couple, but should be the place where the family is born.
What next?
After a date has been booked, you will need to complete a Marriage Preparation Course. Our Parish cluster runs a joint Preparation Course each year: details of this will be sent to you in good time. The course, which is obligatory, looks at the Catholic teaching about marriage, relationships, communications, the wedding ceremony and other topics. You will also meet with the priest who will conduct the ceremony at least two or three times to prepare the details.
At some point you will be invited to a Sunday Mass at Saint Mary’s to receive the Blessing of an Engaged Couple before Marriage. It would be good to make coming to Sunday Mass together a part of the preparation for marriage at Saint Mary’s: getting to know God and the Church better together will deepen and enrich your wedding here!
Finally, you might want to have a look at these two videos, which come from the American Catholic publishing house “Busted Halo” – a great source of information about the Church! Just be aware that some things are different in Catholic churches across the Atlantic!