The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

St. Paul said: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church… This is a great mystery and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church” (Eph. 5 :25,32)

The Sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life (cf. Council of Trent: DS1799).

First Thing To Note

Weddings must be planned at least 6-9 months in advance. There is preparation to go through prior to being married in the Church.

Who Can Get Married at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help?

First, one or both the bride or groom-to-be should be Catholic. Additionally, either the bride or groom-to-be (or their family) should be registered, practicing members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for at least six months prior to beginning marriage preparation with the church. Also, couples need to be “free to marry” in the Catholic Church. If either the bride or groom-to-be has been married before, an annulment through the Church would need to be granted. This applies even if the person who was married before is not Catholic. No wedding date can be finalized until the annulment is completed, and all paperwork and preparation has been completed.

What Steps Should I Take to Get Married at Our Lady of Perpetual Help?

Contact Ace Tupasi at the parish office for more questions or to get things started: 541-926-1449 or olphpastoralassociate@stmarysalbany.com. Additionally, download and fill out the Wedding General Form that can be found below.

Form

Wedding Request Form

Other Resources

We are a community of Catholics serving engaged couples by sharing our experiences of living out the values of a sacramental marriage. To find locations for our weekend retreats Click Here