Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

Marriage is another sacrament that consecrates for a particular mission in building up the Church, and that provides grace for accomplishing that mission. This sacrament, seen as a sign of the love uniting Christ and the Church, establishes between the spouses a permanent and exclusive bond, sealed by God. Accordingly, a marriage between baptized people, validly entered into and consummated, cannot be dissolved. The sacrament confers on them the grace they need for attaining holiness in their married life and for responsible acceptance and upbringing of their children. As a condition for validity, the sacrament is celebrated in the presence of the local Ordinary or Parish Priest or of a cleric delegated by them (or in certain limited circumstances a lay person delegated by the diocesan Bishop with the approval of the Episcopal Conference and the dermission of the Holy See) and at least two other witnesses though in the theological tradition of the Latin Church the ministers of the sacrament are the couple themselves. For a valid marriage, a man and a woman must express their conscious and free consent to a definitive self-giving to the other, excluding none of the essential properties and aims of marriage. If one of the two is a non-Catholic Christian, their marriage is licit only if the permission of the competent authority of the Catholic Church is obtained. If one of the two is not a Christian (i.e. has not been baptized), the competent authority’s dispensation is necessary for validity.

To be married in either St. Anne’s, Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Helen's, St. Mary's or Holy Angels parish, Marriage Preparation sessions are required and can span over several months. Please contact the church office by phoning 519-631-3052 OR 519-631-3640 at least six months prior to the planned wedding date to make arrangements for your marriage.


Catholic Engaged Encounter
The Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEC) provides quality preparation for marriage in a weekend retreat presented in a prayerful atmosphere.  The weekend is truly a spiritual experience, enriched by the availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the celebration of the Eucharist.  The weekend is Catholic in thought, morality, ritual and expression.  It gives couples the opportunity to discover the deep meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage within the Catholic Church and offer couples a unique experience which focuses strongly on fostering good communication in marriage and the importance of God in their relationship.  The program solidly supports Church teaching in all areas.  Available dates:  Nov. 1-3, 2019; March 6-8, 2020; and Oct. 17-19, 2020.  Please contact Terry and JoAnne Burrell (St Thomas Aquinas Parish-Sarnia) 519 542-8826, jotab@cogeco.ca.