Marriage Validations
Is this your first
marriage? Are you, or your spouse
Catholic? Were you married outside of
the Catholic Church, without receiving a dispensation from the Church? If you answered “yes” to these three
questions, your current marriage may be considered sacramentally invalid. According to Church law, a person may not
receive any further sacraments if they are presently in an invalid marriage.
The Catholic Church
teaches that marriage is a sacrament, in which the man and the woman are joined
in union with God our Father. Anyone
who is Catholic is obligated to make certain preparations with the Catholic
Church before they enter into marriage.
The preparation process is designed to enhance the marriage
relationship; teach the couple the Church’s views on marriage; and better
prepare the couple to build a Christian family.
Catholic’s may be
married outside of the Church, but, they must receive permission from the
Church before doing so. The Church must
insure that the couple has received adequate preparation and that the couple
understands the Church’s teachings on the sacrament of marriage, before
permission will be granted.
If a marriage
validation is needed, it must be completed before you or your spouse can
receive additional sacraments. Many couples that participate in the
marriage validation preparation process say that it has improved their
relationship with each other and God.
Please do not
delay. If this situation applies to
you, please make an appointment with a priest as soon as possible.
If you have any
further questions, please contact the RCIA Director. If you would like to begin the marriage validation process,
please contact the parish office at 817-284-4811.