Marriage

Marriage

Marriage is a sacred covenant of life and love established between a man and woman. This sacrament is a sacrament in service of communion and is ordered by God to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. It is directed toward the salvation of others. Through an exchange of consent, a man and woman commit themselves to love each other until death.

Couples should contact the parish office at least 6 months in advance of celebrating their marriage. Marriage preparation includes meeting with a priest or deacon and participation in marriage preparation sessions.

Please reach out to Dr. Lauri Przybysz at lauri@olfparish.com, Pastoral Associate for Evangelization, for more information and to begin the process of planning a wedding at Our Lady of the Fields.

Guidelines for Weddings at Our Lady of the Fields

Blessing Your Civil Marriage

Couples who were married at the courthouse and now wish to bring their marriage into the sacramental life of the Church, may prepare to receive the Sacrament of Christian Marriage. This is called convalidation. Contact Dr. Lauri Przybysz for assistance lauri@olfparish.com.

Married Previously?

If you are divorced and seeking to remarry in the Catholic Church, contact Dr. Lauri Przybysz lauri@olfparish.com for more information or guidance in starting the process of petitioning for a declaration of nullity, called an annulment. There is no cost for this process.

“There is a misconception that an annulment is simply a Catholic divorce; nothing could be further from the truth. Divorce is a civil law procedure in which one or both persons decide to end an existing marital contract.

An annulment is different. The Catholic Church teaches that once a sacramental marriage is constituted by the valid, mutual consent of the couple, only death can break the marriage covenant. Marriage is forever. An annulment is an official judgment on the part of the Church that (1) there was an impediment that prohibited a valid marriage, or (2) a defect of the consent of one or both parties rendered the marriage consent invalid.”

Learn more about the Annulment Process https://www.archbalt.org/marriage-tribunal/.