Marriage

"The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures and spiritual attitudes.” (Catechism of the Church, 1603)

Every valid marriage--for Catholics and non-Catholics alike --is considered a partnership of the whole of life of a man and a woman, ordered towards the goods of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. Between baptized persons marriage is also a sacrament.

Marriage Policy

It is the normal policy of the Diocese of Stockton that there be six months preparation for marriage.

To prepare for the wedding and the Sacramento of matrimony the engaged couple should visit their parish priest to set time and dates for preparation which includes:

• verification of Baptism and Confirmation
• completion of information forms
• determination of eligibility
• a temperament analysis and premarital inventory

The marriage ceremony normally takes place in a Parish Church. Participation in a program six months prior to the wedding day can be a beautiful growth experience for the couple.

The couple may choose from three programs offered, the program which best meets their needs, age and situation:

• Pre-marriage Course
• When Families Marry
• Engaged Encounter Weekend

The programs have fees associated with them and a donation for that amount is appreciated.

Prayer for Families

We bless your name, O Lord,
for sending your own incarnate Son,
to become part of a family,
so that, as he lived its life,
he would experience its worries and its joys.

We ask you, Lord,
to protect and watch over this family,
so that in the strength of your grace
its members may enjoy prosperity,
possess the priceless gift of your peace,
and, as the Church alive in the home,
bear witness in this world to your glory.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
– Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, Revised Edition

Doctrinal Statements on Marriage

• God is the author of marriage.
• “The matrimonial covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1601)
• Marriage is a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. By their marriage, the couple witnesses Christ’s spousal love for the church.
• In the Latin Church, the spouses, as ministers of Christ’s grace, mutually confer upon each other the Sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church. The free consent of the couple is at the heart of the marriage celebration.
• Unity, permanent lifelong commitment, and openness to having and caring for children are essential to marriage.
• “The Christian home is the place where the children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family is rightly called ‘the domestic church,’ a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1666)

Last Update July 3, 2008