Matrimony/Weddings
Through the Sacrament of Marriage, a man and woman enter into a sacred covenant with each other that mirrors the love that Jesus has for his Church. To begin the marriage preparation process, please contact the Parish Office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment with one of our priests. The Marriage Preparation process normally includes meetings with the priest, attendance at a Pre-Cana Day and meeting with one of our Couple-to-Couple Ministers.
Contact the Parish Office at 330-467-7959 for information about Pre-Cana Day.
Through the Sacrament of Marriage, you hopefully become a sacrament to each other — a sign of God’s love to each other and to those around you.
Your relationship with Christ in each other forms the foundation of the family of the Church with each other. We as Church value your “I do” in marriage as a sacred commitment to each other, to the community and to Christ. Because of this, Catholic Christian marriages are celebrated within the Church and by the Church. It’s that important!
It’s important to take the time to prepare not just for the day of marriage, but for a life-long marriage. Below are some frequently asked questions about marriage preparation:
- The marriage preparation time is six months. If you are planning on getting married, contact the Parish Office at least six months in advance.
- For a Catholic to be married validly, it must 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 to receive the sacraments or be a sponsor for baptism or confirmation, until the marriage vows are said 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 considers it a marriage. 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.
If you have questions or need help, please call any of the priests.