Sacraments
Marriage Preparation
Preparing for Marriage
Sacrament of Marriage
Part of Creation before the Fall (see Genesis 1–2), “the intimate partnership of married life and love has been established by the Creator and qualified by His laws, and is rooted in the conjugal covenant of irrevocable personal consent” (Gaudium et Spes, Second Vatican Council Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 48). The consent that a man and a woman exchange in the celebration of marriage unites them in faithful and mutual love. This love is open to life and serves as a way to respond to God’s call to holiness. Together, as you begin the process of marriage preparation, take the time to pray and discern God’s will. While there are certainly preparations to consider for the celebration of the day of your wedding, good marriage preparation lasts a lifetime.
Marriage Preparation in the AMS
The Archbishop for the Military Services has established that the period of preparation prior to the celebration of marriage in the Archdiocese is six months. As the outline of the process below indicates, much work must be done in this time.
The celebration of marriage is entrusted to the pastor of either Catholic party (c. 530, n. 4). Indeed, the permission of a Catholic party’s proper pastor is required if the marriage will not take place in his parish (c. 1115). For subjects of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, the proper pastor is the AMS priest assigned to their military installation.
If you or your intended spouse is a subject of the AMS, then you can begin to prepare for your marriage by contacting one of the priests.
If you and your intended spouse are not subjects of the AMS but would like to celebrate your marriage in a chapel on a military installation, then you must contact the pastor of your civilian parish to begin marriage preparation according to the process established in that civilian diocese.
Marriage Preparation Process
The following outline contains the basic elements and steps that form the period of Catholic marriage preparation. Please contact one of the priests for more details as each case is different.
Scheduling a Wedding?
Before any wedding is scheduled you must contact the one of the priest chaplains. Only then will the chapel staff schedule your wedding.
Visiting Clergy?
All visiting clergy must be have permision from the senior Catholic chaplain before performing weddings. Families brining their own clergy must ensure they contact the senior Cathoilic chaplain for procedures.