Couples who desire the Sacrament of Matrimony at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, should have at least one of them to be a registered parishioner of the parish. Exceptions might be made for former parishioners, persons who have family members who are parishioners, and persons who have received Sacraments in our Parish.

52 Quotes about Catholic Marriage

Weddings are typically scheduled on Saturdays between 10:00 am and 2:30 pm, subject to other scheduled events.

Before making any arrangements for a reception, crucial steps are to begin with the pastor of the church at least six (6) months in advance.

Please contact the Pastor at 337-783-2968 to schedule an appointment to discuss details and specific preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony.

• The lead pastor's responsibility is to assess the relationship between the bride and groom to confirm their freedom to enter into marriage within this Catholic Church. 
• Couples are expected to share how each partner will contribute to the spiritual growth of their partner and any children who might be born in their marriage. 
• Other topics to be discussed are previous marriages, age, maturity, knowledge about marriage, intentions, etc.
• In instances where one or both of the persons to be married are under the age of 21, there may be a need to interview a parent or guardian to corroborate the statements made regarding their maturity and readiness for marriage.

Once the priest is assured that nothing made known to him would prevent this marriage from taking place within the Catholic Church, he can then confirm a date and time for the wedding.

Since the Sacrament of Matrimony (marriage) is a step recognized both by the Church and the state, it involves the completion of necessary standard forms.

• Accordingly, if you are a Catholic, baptized, or confirmed in a parish other than the Church of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, a recent baptismal certificate (dated within six months before the wedding is to take place) as well as First Communion and Confirmation certificate are to be provided. All documents submitted will remain on file in the Parish Office as a permanent record.
• If you were baptized in a faith community other than Catholic, a copy of the baptismal certificate should be provided. It will be returned to you after the appropriate information is recorded.
• Couples of different faith backgrounds are to apply to the Diocese of Lafayette through the Parish for “permission for mixed marriage or dispensation from disparity of marriage” to celebrate a Catholic sacramental wedding.
• Lastly, the couple is responsible for obtaining a marriage certificate from the town clerk a few weeks before the wedding; this certificate goes to the lead pastor of the church.

The lead pastor has an obligation to ensure that the couple attends a marriage preparation program prior to their wedding in accordance with the Diocese of Lafayette requirements.

The person(s) providing music for the wedding is to contact the Parish Office to discuss the music and the Parish’s musical instruments. 

Usually, a rehearsal is conducted the evening before the wedding. The time will be scheduled after consultation with the lead pastor.

It is the couple’s responsibility to ensure that everyone in the wedding party is free of alcohol use before the rehearsal or the wedding.

 

Matrimony is usually defined as marriage or the state of being married, and sometimes as the ceremony of marriage.  The word first appeared in Middle English sometime in the 14th century. It enters English through the Old French word matrimoignie, which comes from the Latin matrimonium. The root matr- is derived from the Latin word mater, for "mother"; the suffix - mony refers a state of being, a function, or a role.

Therefore, matrimony is literally the state that makes a woman a mother.  The term highlights the extent to which reproduction and childrearing are central to marriage itself.

As the Code of Canon Law notes (Canon 1055), "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."

The Difference Between Matrimony and Marriage

Technically, matrimony is not simply a synonym for marriage. As Fr. John Hardon notes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, matrimony "refers more to the relationship between husband and wife than to the ceremony or the state of marriage." That is why, strictly speaking, the Sacrament of Marriage is the Sacrament of Matrimony. Throughout the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Marriage is referred to as the Sacrament of Matrimony.

The term matrimonial consent is often used to describe the free willingness of a man and a woman to enter into marriage. This stresses the legal, contract or covenant aspect of marriage, which is why, besides being used to signify the Sacrament of Marriage, the term matrimony is still widely used today in legal references to marriage.

What Are the Effects of Matrimony?

Like all of the sacraments, matrimony provides a specific sacramental grace to those who take part in it. The venerable Baltimore Catechism describes the effects of matrimony, which that sacramental grace helps us to achieve, in Question 285, which is found in Lesson Twenty-second of the First Communion Edition and Lesson Twenty-sixth of the Confirmation Edition:

The effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are:
 1st, To sanctify the love of husband and wife;
 2d, To give them grace to bear with each other's weaknesses;
 3d, To enable them to bring up their children in the fear and love of God.

Is There a Difference Between Civil Matrimony and Holy Matrimony?

In the early 21st century, as legal efforts to redefine marriage to include unions between couples of the same sex increased throughout Europe and the United States, some have attempted to make a distinction between what they call civil matrimony and holy matrimony. In this view, the Church can determine what constitutes a sacramental marriage, but the state can define non-sacramental marriage.

This distinction rests on a misunderstanding of the Church's use of the term holy matrimony. The adjective holy simply refers to the fact that a marriage between two baptized Christians is a sacrament -- as the Code of Canon Law puts it, "a valid matrimonial contract cannot exist between the baptized without it being by that fact a sacrament." The underlying condition of marriage is no different between matrimony and holy matrimony because the fact of the matrimonial union between man and woman pre-dates legal definitions of marriage.

The state can acknowledge the reality of matrimony, and make laws that encourage couples to enter into marriage and grant them privileges for having done so, but the state cannot arbitrarily redefine marriage. As the Baltimore Catechism puts it (in Question 287 of the Confirmation Catechism), "The Church alone has the right to make laws concerning the Sacrament of marriage, though the state also has the right to make laws concerning the civil effects of the marriage contract."

Written By 

Scott P. Richert
Catholicism Expert

• M.A., Political Theory, Catholic University of America
• B.A., Political Theory, Michigan State University

Scott P. Richert is the senior content network manager of Our Sunday Visitor. He has written about Catholicism for outlets including Humanitas and Catholic Answers Magazine.
Updated on June 25, 2019


 

The Sacrament of Matrimony

 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.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1601
 

National Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is observed from July 21 to 27, coinciding with the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae on July 25 and the feast of the Saints Joachim and Anne, the blessed Mother's parents, on July 26. 

Want to learn more about the methods of NFP offered in our diocese?

Diocese of Lafayette Natural Family Planning