Congratulations as you prepare to spend your life together.  Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman. It is a vocation, a calling from God that is similar to the priestly or religious life. Married people are called to faithfully fulfill their obligations to each other and to God. The couple themselves are the actual ministers of the sacrament because their “I do” makes them husband and wife. The priest or deacon is an official witness for the Church. They must be faithful to each other through good times and bad, in sickness and in health. They must not withhold their fertility from each other and they must make a solemn commitment to raise their children in the practice of the Catholic faith. Unless one spouse dies, a validly contracted marriage cannot be broken. For this reason, Catholics can only marry someone who has never been married before or who is widowed. Annulments can only be granted when the competent authorities of the Church can determine that a valid marriage was never contracted in the first place. Your marriage is one of the most important events in your life, and St. Anthony Catholic Church, in addition to assisting you in preparing for the mutual commitment of a wonderful marriage, welcomes the opportunity to help you plan a spiritually meaningful celebration that will reflect the joy of the occasion. We believe that the two of you have been brought together through the Grace of God, and that same Grace calls you to His church  to make your promises of marriage to each other.  Therefore, we take great care in our program of Marriage Preparation, and planning the wedding liturgy with you.  Our marriage celebrations are based on the Word of God, shared in our faith community, following approved guidelines in the context of love, commitment, and devotion to God and His church.

Please contact Deacon Tony Schlott at St. Anthony Catholic Church at least 6 months in advance of your wedding date.