Concise points to use when discussing the Sacrament of Marriage with friends and family.
Download the document here.
For additional information visit www.marriageforareason.org

If you will have a wedding anniversary in January and would like your names listed in the bulletin, please email stmaryofc@aol.com on or before Wed., December 18, and your names will be included in the bulletin on December 29.

If you are considering a wedding, please call the parish office and ask to be contacted by a priest or deacon on the pastoral staff to discuss a wedding.  Please make this call prior to setting any dates.
 
If you are already familiar with the Parish Pastoral Staff, you may call the priest or deacon of your choice to discuss wedding arrangements before setting the date.
 
A six month preparation period is required by parish and diocesan policy in order to allow for proper preparation of the parties to be married.
 
Pre-Cana activity must include the couples' participation in the Prepare & Enrich (P&E)  program.  The minister with whom you meet may elect to have you complete your review of the P&E assessment with one of our Marriage Preparation Couples who assist us in this ministry.
 
While other pre-Cana programs exist, participation in the P&E program is a both a parish and diocesan requirement.

The First Step Program helps individuals navigate the path of healing and closure, of which the annulment process is an important aspect. We encourage all to come to heal, come to learn, come open to the Spirit. For info call 216.696.6525 Ext. 4000 or visit www.dioceseofcleveland.org/tribunal

Why should we get married in the Catholic Church?
As Catholics, we believe getting married in the Church is the way to give yourself completely to your spouse.  You hold nothing back, and as a man and woman you stand before family, friends, and God, vowing to commit yourselves to one another until death.  God pours His grace into your marriage when you celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony.  And through faith, God's grace is abundantly offered at every step along the way of your marriage.

Marriage will be challenging and difficult, and unforeseen problems will arise.  The initial "spark" of your relationship may fade.  But that is why marriage is important.  That is why getting married in the Church is crucial.  The vows you took speak to a truth greater than the difficulties of the current situation.  Your love for one another as husband and wife mirrors Christ's love for His Bride, the Church.  Jesus's love for the Church was not without immense struggles.  Let us rely on Jesus Christ and His Church to show us how to love as He intended.  

If I was married previously, can I get married again in the Church?
If either of the parties was previously married either civilly or in a church ceremony, be sure to bring that to the immediate attention of the priest or deacon with whom you meet.  He will be able to clarify this with you.

I am a practicing Catholic, but my fiance is not.  Can we still get married in the Church?
Yes!  Please contact the parish office to speak with a priest or deacon regarding your current situation.

Questions?
For more information regarding these questions or any others, please call the parish office at (440) 235-2222 to setup an appointment to meet with a priest or deacon.

"Today, there are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. Is it out of fashion? In a culture of relativism and the ephemeral, many preach the importance of 'enjoying' the moment. They say that it is not worth making a life-long commitment, making a definitive decision, 'for ever', because we do not know what tomorrow will bring. I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, I ask you to swim against the tide; yes, I am asking you to rebel against this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes you are incapable of responsibility, that believes you are incapable of true love. I have confidence in you and I pray for you. Have the courage 'to swim against the tide'. And also have the courage to be happy."

Pope Francis