"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding." (John 2:1-2)

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"Jesus said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)

The Sacrament of Marriage

is a visible sign of God's love for the Church. When a man and a woman are married in the Church, they receive the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity.

When the Catholic Church teaches that marriage between two baptized persons is a sacrament, it is saying that the couple’s relationship expresses in a unique way the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his people. Like the other six sacraments of the Church, sacramental marriage is a sign or symbol that reveals the Lord Jesus and through which his divine life and love are communicated. 

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenantal union in the image of the covenants between God and his people with Abraham and later with Moses at Mt. Sinai. This divine covenant can never be broken. In this way, marriage is a union that bonds spouses together during their entire lifetime.  

Christian Marriage is a sacrament that orders the husband and wife to serve one another. This service is based on the Christian virtue of charity and is done in a spirit of care and concern for the good of the spouse and child(ren) following the example of Christ. If this sacrament provides grace for salvation to the individual, it is only as a secondary fruit. The principal effect of the grace of the sacrament serves to strengthen the couple’s unity and deepen their love and affection so that their loving service assists them in growing closer to God. The ultimate goal of marriage is the same as Christian life; to respond to God’s grace and be happy with Him in heaven forever.

Congratulations 

on your recent engagement! 

Thanks for choosing to celebrate your wedding here at St. Mark's! We are excited to assist you     as you plan and prepare for your wedding. 

Of course, a wedding is one day, while marriage lasts a lifetime, therefore we want to provide you with the resources to prepare well to take this monumental step. 

Please make sure that you contact Fr. Sylwester ar the Parish Office at least one year in advance of the marriage (and BEFORE making any arrangements with the venue, etc.) Some of the necessary paperwork and steps can take a considerable amount of time to complete. Fr. Sylwester will help you through the initial process, and then you will be asked to attend two pre-marriage sessions:

Life Skills (Pre-Cana) 

and

God's Plan for a Joyful Marriage

“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.”

St. Claire of Assisi