Marriage

In the Sacrament of Marriage, a man and a woman give themselves to each other in a lifelong commitment of love and fidelity. Their union reflects the fruitful love that exists between Christ and his Church. Together, the husband and wife assist each other in attaining holiness and in raising children in the Catholic faith.

Due to these important responsibilities of marriage, those intending to be married should be actively living their faith, attending Mass regularly and receiving the sacraments. The couple who are getting married should contact one of the priests in order to set up an initial interview and receive the Parish Guidelines for the Celebration of Marriage. It is important to note that a date for the wedding will not be set prior to this meeting.

Moreover, the meeting should be made at least 12 months in advance of the wedding. This is in order to allow for enough time to ensure that all details and requirements are met, depending on the circumstances of the couple (e.g., re-marriage for one or both, common-law history, marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic or non-Christian).

It is required that the couple attends a Marriage Preparation course. The course provides the couple with information and education in order to help them have a healthy marriage, and it gives the opportunity for the couple to learn the importance of faith in their lives together.

Depending on the circumstances of the couple they may be directed to attend a specialized marriage course (Remarriage, Co-habitating Couples) or our regular parish course. The programme is run by the Marriage Preparation and Family Life Office of the Catholic Family Services of Toronto and is offered at our parish twice a year. It consists of 6 weekly evening sessions. A subsequent interview between the couple and the priest will be held closer to the date of the wedding in order to plan details of the liturgical ceremony itself (e.g., appropriate music, readings, participation of family and friends, etc.). The couple must also provide proof of having attended the marriage preparation course, as well as updated baptismal certificates .