MARRIAGE
Getting Married?
It is a beautiful thing that young people today choose to get married on the basis of mutual love. But this choice demands a conscious decision, not simply an attraction or a feeling, for a the moment, for a short time...
The covenant of love between man and woman - a covenant for life - cannot be improvised.
It isn’t made up one day to the next. There is no marriage express: one needs to work on love, one needs to walk. The covenant of love between man and woman is something learned and refined. It calls for a preparation.
Pope Francis to engaged couples,
27th May 2015
For more information contact Fr Richard: richardandrew@rcdow.org.uk
or the parish office: brookgreen@rcdow.org.uk
How does the sacrament of Matrimony come about?
The Sacrament of Matrimony comes about through a promise made by a man and a woman before God and the Church, which is accepted and confirmed by God and consummated by the bodily union of the couple. Because God himself forms the bond of sacramental marriage, it is binding until the death of one of the partners.
What is necessary for a Christian, sacramental marriage?
A sacramental marriage has three necessary elements: (a) free consent, (b) the affirmation of a lifelong, exclusive union, and (c) openness to children. The most profound thing about a Christian marriage, however, is the couple’s knowledge: “We are a living image of the love between Christ and the Church.”
Why is marriage indissoluble?
Marriage is triply indissoluble: first, because the essence of love is mutual self-giving without reservation; second, because it is an image of God’s unconditional faithfulness to his creation; and third, because it represents Christ’s devotion to his Church, even unto death on the Cross.
What should I do if I want to get married at Holy Trinity?
All bookings for weddings at Holy Trinity are taken on condition that both parties are free to marry in the eyes of the Catholic Church. We require at last six months notice, and compiling of all the necessary documents.
If one of you is not a Catholic then it will be necessary to apply for the dispensation from the diocese.
Couples not resident in the parish need to get the permission of their parish priest to marry here.
What should I do if I want to be married in another parish?
We also help couples resident in the parish but marrying elsewhere to complete the necessary paperwork. This will also usually mean participating in a marriage preparation course here or elsewhere. Again, at least six months notice in advance is necessary.
How to register?
Please contact one of the clergy directly. Catholics being married are to attend a Catholic Marriage Preparation Course. We have one or two each year as needed for our parishioners who have already approached our parish clergy to plan their weddings here, or in a Catholic Church elsewhere in the world.