Sacramental Marriages

Sacramental Marriages are the regular Marriages between a Baptized and Confirmed Adult Roman Catholic man and a woman. This form of Marriage takes place within the celebration of Holy Mass. The documentation process must begin by the Couple meeting their respective Parish Priests personally in their own parishes at least six months ahead of the planned date of Marriage.

In Catholicism marriage is a sacrament that a baptized man and a baptized woman administer to each other through their marriage vows and lifelong partnership. Given that to a Catholic sacramental marriage reflects the union of Christ with the church as his mystical body, marriage is understood to be an indissoluble union. The rite commonly takes place during a mass, with a priest serving as the minister of the mass and as a witness to the mutual consent of the couple. The marriage union is used to sanctify both the husband and wife by drawing them into a deeper understanding of God’s love and is intended to be fruitful, with any children to be raised within the teachings of the church.

Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of marriage as a symbol of His union with the Church, in order to present a fuller explanation of his sanctifying power and the model of this great mystery in the lives of the spouses (cf. Eph 5:32), who in virtue of their intimate communion of life, represent the love with which Christ offered himself for the salvation of mankind. The sacrament of marriage requires more than anything else the full and perfect harmony of the spouses themselves, especially in regards to religion: “In fact the union of spirits may fail or at least be weakened when there are differences of belief and oppositions of the will concerning religious truths and sentiments that make up the highest values that are the subject of human veneration.” For these reasons, the Church considers it her most solemn duty to protect and safeguard the gift of the faith both for the spouses as well as their children. And for this very reason, it strives in every way so that Catholics do not enter into marriage with non-Catholics.

These are the regular Marriages between a Baptized and Confirmed Adult Roman Catholic man and a woman. This Marriage take place within the celebration of Holy Mass. The documentation process must begin by the Couple meeting their respective Parish Priests personally in their own parishes at least six months ahead of the planned date of Marriage.