The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator.
Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of "the wedding-feast of the Lamb." Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church.
Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes. And this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: "And God blessed them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.'"
To schedule a wedding, or to enroll in Pre-Cana, contact one of the priests via the Parish Office, at 610-647-2345. A wedding must be scheduled with the church at least six months prior to the desired date. Marriage handbooks are available in the Parish Office.
A marriage must occur between two freely consenting individuals, and must be a mutual giving of self. Both individuals must understand the sacramental meaning of marriage and be open to the possibility of procreation in their married life. A Catholic marriage must take place in a Catholic Church, in the context of a Mass.
Pre-Cana courses receive their name from the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. Though Pre-Cana courses vary, they are frequently a series of six weekly sessions conducted by a priest on the topics of compatibility, the theological meaning of marriage, based on theology of the body, and dealing with conflict. The reason behind the Pre-Cana requirement is that marriage is an unbreakable bond and should not be formed without first making both individuals fully aware of the Sacrament’s profound effects.
All provided information is based on the Catechism. For more information regarding Matrimony, access the Catechism of the Catholic Church here.