“I think the world today is upside down. Everybody seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater development and greater riches and so on. There is much suffering because there is so very little love in homes and in family life. We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other; there is no time to enjoy each other. In the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.”- Mother Teresa
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/VAT/aq1004.asp
Marriage Preparation
This program offers engaged couples a parish-based option for their pre-marriage preparation. An approved sponsor couple (married in the Catholic Church for five or more years) shares their experiences of married life with the engaged couple. The goal of the program is to give couples an opportunity to discuss the major life choices that await them as they prepare for this sacrament. This program also gives couples a chance to reflect on the dynamics in their relationship before committing to a life long relationship. “Based on the sacrament of marriage, the family is the “domestic church” where God’s children learn to pray “as the Church” and to persevere in prayer.” CCC 2685
Contact the parish office to schedule a wedding celebration and receive information on the marriage preparation process. The Archdiocese has a requirement of a minimum 6 month notification to allow time for the complete marriage preparation process.
Annulments
The Church believes that marriages are valid and lifelong. When two people exchange vows of love and fidelity, their marriage covenant becomes a participation in the unbreakable covenant between Christ and the Church. With the help of the Holy Spirit, spouses are called to perform acts of self-giving love to the benefit of themselves, their families, and the whole Church. In this way their marriage does more than symbolize Christ’s love; it makes that love present in the world.
Because of the Church’s belief in the sacramentality of marriage. Even though a couple may go a civil divorce, in its eyes, the spouses are permanently separated and remain in good standing with the Church. However, unless the ex-spouse has died, in order to re-marry and remain in good standing, a spouse must receive an annulment of the first marriage.
An annulment, or Declaration of Nullity, states that the marriage was not true or binding according to the Church’s understanding of marriage. Even though there is a wedding ceremony, something stood in the way of one or both people from entering into the sacrament of marriage. The annulment process will explore each person’s readiness at that time to enter into marriage and what may have contributed to his or her inability to enter into a sacramental covenant. It does not dissolve an existing civil marriage, but rather determines that the sacrament of marriage was not entered into validly. With an annulment, the person is then free to enter into a permanent and sacramental marriage.
If you have questions or need help in navigating the process, the priests, deacons, or other members of the staff are available to walk with you through the process. Please contact Denise Ruiz at 426-1588 or druiz@stmm.org. If you would like to study it further, visit the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops website at www.usccb.org and search “annulment.”