God created man and woman out of love and commanded them to imitate his love in their relations with each other. Man and woman were created for each other…Woman and man are equal in human dignity, and in marriage both are united in an unbreakable bond.
(United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Ch. 21, p. 279)
Marriage is a holy covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love. By its very nature, the sacrament of marriage is ordered to the good of the couple, the generation and upbringing of children, and the propspering of human society. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament.
The sacrament of matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the same powerful love with which Christ loves his People. The grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. Marriage is based on the active consent of the ones getting married, that is, on their will to give themselves, each to the other, mutually and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love. It is the couple, therefore, who are the ministers of the sacrament. Since marriage establishes the couple in a public state of life in the Church and in society, it is fitting that its celebration be public, in the framework of a liturgical celebration, before a witness authorized by the Church (for example, the priest), the chosen witnesses, and the assembly of the faithful. A wedding is, therefore, a public act.
Congratulations to both of you! Marriage is a big step. of course, but the whole parish is here to offer any help we can.
The first step is usually to contact the parish office. You can write to Fr. Bob, the pastor, at [email protected], or the the parish secretary Heather at [email protected], or call the parish office at 812-232-8421.