Holy Matrimony

Marriage

God created man and woman out of love and commanded them to imitate his love in their relations with each other. Man and woman were created for each other…Woman and man are equal in human dignity, and in marriage both are united in an unbreakable bond. (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Ch. 21, p. 279)

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.

Marriage is a Covenant

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.
The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. (CCC 1661)
The love in a married relationship is exemplified in the total gift of one’s self to another. It’s this self-giving and self-sacrificing love that we see in our other model of marriage, the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Marriage is based on the consent of the contracting parties, that is, on their will to give themselves, each to the other, mutually and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love. (CCC 1662)
The Church takes the lifelong nature of the Sacrament of Marriage seriously. The Church teaches that a break in this covenant teaches goes against the natural law of God:
The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith. (CCC 1665)

Marriage Reflects the Holy Trinity 

We believe that God exists in eternal communion. Together, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in one being with no beginning and no end. Human beings, likewise, were created by God in God’s image for the purpose of communion with another human being.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2205). The Sacrament of Marriage is “unitive, indissoluble and calls us to be completely open to fertility.” Christian marriage at its finest is a reflection of God’s self-giving love expressed between the love of two people.

Marriage Preparation

  Your Wedding is but a Moment…

                                                              Your Marriage is Forever!

 

Excitement is in the air! The St. Rita parish family wishes you CONGRATULATIONS and extends PRAYERS of God’s many BLESSINGS on your engagement and future marriage!  


As your heads begin to swirl with all the planning and decision-making for your wedding day, you are invited to calm the swirl and let the Holy Spirit guide you while planning your wedding celebration within the Catholic Church. Your wedding ceremony is the heart and highlight of your Wedding Day! Ceremony planning is a time to focus on God, pray for and with each other, reflect on the Sacrament of Matrimony, and make sacramental decisions together. Your faith-filled journey toward “becoming one flesh” begins now!


The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a public sign where one gives oneself totally to this other person. “God created man and woman out of love and commanded them to imitate His love in their relationship with each other. Man and woman are created for each other…woman and man are created equal in human dignity. In marriage, both are united in an unbreakable bond.”

(U. S. Catholic Catechism for Adults; ch. 21, p.279)


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 graces needed for a lifelong bond of unity. “The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2205)


The importance of receiving this holy Sacrament of Matrimony is absolutely beautiful…

           This is the event for which God has been eagerly waiting! 

           This is the event where you make a covenantal union in the image of the covenants

                       between God and His people (with Abraham and later with Moses).

           This is the event which a man and a woman become husband and wife in the presence

                       of God, the priest, their loved ones and the Catholic community.

           This is the event that marks your marriage as the beginning of your growing family to

                       become a God-focused Domestic Church.


Contact St. Rita

What’s the difference between a wedding and a marriage? Why do you want to be married in a Catholic Church? What do you mean, Catholic Teachings for marriage? Did God have a plan for marriage? How do you make a life-long marriage? Do I really have to prepare for marriage? The answer to the last question is absolutely you do! The other question, and many more, will be answered during Catholic Marriage Classes, which are mandatory. The classes will engage couples into discussions that are very much relevant for a life-time marriage. After all, we all really do want a marriage that will last forever!

Catholic Marriage Class

God’s plan for humanity involves His will for young married couples to be open to new life. Married couples are asked by God to teach their children about God and Catholic Teachings, to be passed down generations to come. Natural Family Planning is a safe and effective way to plan for the growth of your blessed family. By attending mandatory NFP classes, you will learn the meaning of NFP, how NFP strengthens your marriage, and why the effectiveness rate is so successful. 

Natural Family Planning

“So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together,

no human being must separate.” Matthew 19:6


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