Matrimony

Marriage in the Catholic Church, also called matrimony, is the "covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring", and which "has been raised by Christ the Lord ...

Each couple planning to marry should spend some time considering the commitment they will make to each other. It is the church's goal to provide you with an efficient, practical and pastoral preparation for your new life as a married couple.

This preparation will have a spiritual component as well as provide you with some practical skills in communication, problem solving, and other important areas. It will assist you in setting clear and realistic goals and provide a transparent vision of what you might encounter in your future life together. It will emphasize the responsibility you have toward God, to each other, to the Church, and to society in general through the holy sacrament of matrimony. The Church wants to provide the necessary tools so that you can enter into married life as prepared as possible.

You will face many challenges as you try to live as a Christian couple in our modern society, and this preparation will help you to build a solid foundation where stronger families will be formed and children will be raised in faith and abundant love. It is imperative that you contact the Parish Office, 203-263-2008, at least six months in advance of the anticipated wedding.