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SACRAMENTS
History of the Sacrament: Christians have long seen marriage as a sacrament capable of revealing something of the mystery of God. The Prophets kept alive the tradition of seeing the relationship of God and the people in terms of marriage. St. Paul sees marriage as reflecting the love of God, casting the image in terms of Christ and the Church, which he calls the "great mystery." 18 After Vatican II and the revision of the Code of Canon Law, marriage was seen more as a covenant between spouses, reflecting the covenant between God and humanity. Definition of Matrimony: "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by 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."19 The Sacrament of Matrimony is the sacrament that unites a Christian man and woman in an intimate community of life and love under a sacred covenant until death. The ministers of the sacrament are the marrying couple themselves through the mutual giving and acceptance of the marriage vows. Procedure for Matrimony: 1. Couple calls the parish office and an intake person talks with them. 2. After a wedding date is set, a $50.00 deposit is required. 3. Clergy will be assigned to preside at the wedding. 4. The couple meets with the clergy, gets information and wedding policies. 5. A "Prepare" couple is assigned and they call the wedding couple. 6. The wedding couple meets with the Prepare couple to take the inventory and the feedback sessions. 7. A Pre-Marriage retreat is required. 8. The couple is required to attend a Natural Family Planning Session. 9. The couple is required to attend a Wedding Planning Workshop - concerning music and liturgy planning. 10. A fee of $250.00 is assessed to cover the Prepare, Wedding Coordinator fee and the use of the church. Presider's stipend and music fees are additional. Procedure for annulment: 1. The person interested meets with a clergy or field advocate for information and papers to be filled out. 2. The process is explained. 3. The application, copies of certificates and a history of their past, needs to be completed before any part is sent in. 4. When all is collected, the materials are sent to the Tribunal of the Archdiocese and the process continues from there. 18 Ephesians 519 CIC, can. 1055 #1 |
