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Collecting Marriage Documents
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God’s plan for marriage is a permanent covenant of love and fidelity. This covenant is more than agreement. It is a loving relationship binding the persons and making their love of Christ present to each other and to the world. Marriage is not an isolated relationship.
Marriage is exclusive. Man and woman are made for each other. Man and woman have a mutuality and complimentary. Marriage is a wondrous responsibility of bringing children into the world and caring for them.
“Complementarity will take many forms as each man and
woman brings his or her distinctive contributions to their
marriage and to the formation of their children-his or her
personal richness, personal charisma.”
(Pope Francis: Humanum Conference, Nov. 2014)
Jesus gives us examples of the benefits of marriage. Jesus was born into a human family, ordinary family life. Jesus worked his first miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12). He celebrated love with the couple and the community. In his teaching, Jesus taught that marriage is lifetime commitment. (Mk 10:6-9) The couple chooses to love each other and forgive each other, especially during the times of difficulties, struggles, and challenges.
Why is a Catholic marriage celebrated in a Church?
The church is not a set-up or a backdrop for a marriage. The church is a sacred space of peace, reverence, and respect for a solemn sacramental action taking place. A place of encounter between God and the couple. The Creator and the created make a communal, visible commitment to their love for each other. Marriages are strengthened not by sentiments of the wedding day (beautiful to the eye), but by the graces and blessing of the sacrament’s power present to the couple (invisible divine reality), that you may live a happy, long marriage covenant.
Unfortunately, a marriage may experience an unrepairable challenge. While the Church is present to provide mercy and healing grace to sustain the marriage some spouses fail to benefit from this assistance or any professional resources. The Church is not insensitive to their needs. It encourages the couple to stay close to God and the sacraments.
We encourage the baptized persons to begin a Declaration of Nullity. This process examines the validity of a marriage by a Church tribunal court. If the Church issues a declaration, this means that no sacramental bond took place at the time of the wedding. Standards of a valid sacramental marriage must take place the time of the wedding.
For more information, contact the parish office at 210-497-6101
The following is the requirements and procedures for marriage:
1.) Contact parish office no less than six months (6 months) ahead of intended celebration
2.) Obtain an initiation questionaire, fill out and submit to parish office.
3.) Please turn in all sacramental copies for the couple. Baptismal certificate must have a issued date within the last 6 months.4) Couple will be meeting with pastor.