Holy Matrimony

The Sacrament of Marriage is called a sacrament of vocation or service.  It is a ceremony that begins a life of commitment which brings God’s love through the two people, who represent the unbreakable love of the Trinity, of God to creation, and Christ to the Church.  

The sacrament, like many other sacraments, is a beginning.  It is often named the sacrament of friendship, not just because the two getting married are friends, but because it models the relationship we have with God.  Like our individual spiritual journeys, where we grow to know God more (and ourselves more) with each day of our life, marriage is a daily spiritual exercise of growing to know and love one’s spouse.  Though the day of the wedding is one day, marriage as a sacrament is something that is (like other sacramental commitments) a response to God’s grace every day of the couple’s life.  Like other sacraments, this promise made to one another, before God and community, is challenging, reminding us that our human journey requires conscious commitment at all times.  The community’s role is to serve as a model and a help to those who embark on this journey, helping them through the journey, celebrating the times of happiness, and supporting them in times of trial and difficulty.  

The Sacrament of Marriage is named a covenant.  This means that for Catholics, it is more than a legal contract, but a mutual promise that is modeled after God’s promise with creation since the beginning of time, God’s continued providence over the Hebrew people in good times and bad, and Christ’s promise to always remain in the Church.  The sacrament of marriage is closely related to the other sacraments, insofar as the commitment to live a life in response to grace and call begins in baptism, and in reconciliation.  In the relationship of God to creation, to community, and to the Church, we consistently see the example of human failure, but the never-diminishing presence of God’s love and welcome.  In this way, marriage is a covenant of commitment, of reconciliation, and of the journey. 


Contact:

All wedding arrangements must be made with a Parish Priest or Deacon at least six months prior to the wedding date. No weddings celebrated during Lent. Engaged couples wishing to marry at Incarnation Parish are asked to contact the Parish Office at 708-597-3180, before reserving a wedding date.  

Weddings typically take place at the Catholic parish where the bride or groom have been registered for some time and are regularly attending Mass.  Marriage preparation take about six months to complete, and it is never too early to begin the preparation program.

Please call the Parish Office for more information at 708-597-3180.

Realizing the uniqueness of every situation, one or more of the following may be cause to delay a Christian Wedding:

- Severe immaturity is apparent in the couple’s relationship.

- A previous marriage (either individually or as a couple) has taken place in any type of a religious or civil ceremony.

- A pregnancy (or other unforeseen situation) is the primary motive for the marriage.

- The Catholic member is not attending Holy Mass on a weekly basis (Saturday Vigil or Sunday).

- The Catholic member has not been registered and active in the Parish for the past 6 months.

- The couple is not open to children and/or does not intend to properly raise their children in the Catholic faith.