Updated August 2024 - Please click here for the new Diocese flyer (English & Spanish) on marriage preparation.
Dear Engaged Couples,
As you plan your marriage, we welcome you as Christ welcomes you, with understanding, love, and acceptance, to challenge you with the gospel message, and give you hope that a lifelong commitment is possible. We hope you experience this hospitality and warm welcome throughout your marriage preparation process. It is in this spirit that we offer you these Steps to Get Married in the Catholic Church.
Our parish family is happy that you have decided to celebrate your love for each other in a marriage relationship. Marriage is a sacred commitment, a true vocation in Christ. On your wedding day, you publicly invite God to be an integral part of your life as a couple. As husband and wife in the Sacrament of Mariage, you will share each other's joys and sorrows in the company of God's love
These wedding guidelines are intended to ensure a joyful, prayerful, and of celebration of marriage within the Sacred Liturgy. It is our conviction that the time and patience necessary to incorporate these guidelines will benefit all who come to celebrate God's love at your wedding liturgy.
The first step in planning your Nuptial Mass is to Contact Deacon Mike Handler or Deacon Humberto Serrano (spanish) to set up a meeting to begin the intial process. In this meeting, the engaged couple meets with Deacon Mike to dicuss your relationship, family backgrounds, religious beliefs, career plans, and the importance of of the marriage process. The marriage preparation process and requirements will be discussed and you will be given a checklist to guide you through the next nine months of marriage preparation.
Please contact us 9 to 12 months in advance to discuss dates and Marriage Preparation for the Nuptial Mass.
This class gives the couple a theological foundation for the Sacrament of Matrimony. Pre-Cana is a One Day (Saturday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM) or Two Evening (Weeknight: 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM) on-site experience for engaged couples to begin their formal marriage preparation process. Registration can be completed online via the Diocese website.
Complete a full course of Natural Family Planning. Classes can be taken locally at many parishes or online.
Natural Family Planning is the practice of observing and charting these fertility signs to determine accurately when a woman is fertile and when she is infertile. When you want to achieve pregnancy, NFP helps you identify the most fertile time.
We will assign a Sponsor Couple to speak with you and your fiancé/fiancée regarding the results of your premarital inventory.
Fully Engaged is a Sponsor Couple program for engaged couples to help them learn more about the Sacrament of Marriage. It is a Catholic catechetical premarital inventory designed to help engaged couples solidify the foundation upon which they, together with Christ, will build their Sacrament of Marriage.