Marriage in the Church

"Do you take each other as husband and wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Your "I do" changes your life in ways that can only be imagined. You hopefully become a sacrament to each other --- a sign of God's love to each other and to those around you. You hopefully become each day, more and more, Church to each other.

Your relationship with Christ in each other forms the foundation of the family of the Church with each other. That's why we as Church value your "I do" in marriage as a sacred commitment to each other, to the community and to Christ. That's why Catholic Christian marriages are celebrated within the Church and by the Church. It's that important!

It's so important that we take the time to prepare not just for the day of marriage but, hopefully, for a life-long marriage. Below are some frequently asked questions about marriage and also about what happens when two good people get married who shouldn't have because they couldn't have made it last a lifetime...Read on!!

Some frequently asked answers to questions about marriage, divorce and annulment:

• The marriage preparation time is 6 months. This is a "diocesan thing," not a "parish thing." So if you're figuring on getting married, the norm is to contact the Rectory at least 6 months in advance.
• For a Catholic to be married validly, it has to be before a Catholic priest or deacon (unless a dispensation is obtained from the bishop). Otherwise, you're not married in the Church. If a Catholic is married by a justice of the peace, judge, minister, etc., they're not supposed to receive the sacraments or be a sponsor for baptism or confirmation, until the marriage vows are done in Church. This is called a "validation" ceremony. If this is your situation, please call any of the priests, and we will gladly help you do this.
• If a Catholic divorces and does not re-marry, they are free to continue receiving the sacraments. It's only when a second marriage takes place without an annulment that they can no longer receive the sacraments or be a sponsor for baptism or confirmation.
• Anytime anyone says, "I do until the day I die," the Catholic community figures they meant it. So...anyone who has been married before, of any faith, or no faith, needs an annulment of their first marriage (unless their first spouse is deceased) before getting married a second time.
• There are different types of annulments, for different situations. Usually they take about a year, some types one month or less. An annulment has NO legal effect on the children of a first marriage, because a civil marriage had taken place.
• There is a fee for the diocesan personnel who process an annulment procedure. However, NO annulment is ever refused or delayed because of lack of funds. Never!

Hopefully, this answers some of your questions. If you're confused by this, or need help with any of this, please call any of the priests. And please pass this information on to your children or grandchildren.

And always remember that ~ no matter what your marital situation ~ you are always the Church, you are always welcome in Church (you are not excommunicated), and you are always loved by our God!

(If you have questions or comments on this article, please contact any of the priests at the rectory at 330-467-7959.)