"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a women 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." CCC 1601

PREPARATION FOR HOLY MATRIMONY
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.   -Ephesians 5:15

In the Catholic Church, marriage is considered to be more than a natural institution. It was elevated by Christ Himself, in His participation in the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), to be one of the seven Sacraments. A marriage between two Christians, therefore, has a supernatural element as well as a natural one.

The ministers of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony are the spouses themselves, because the mark - the external sign - of the Sacrament is not the wedding Mass, but the marriage contract itself. This does not mean the wedding license that the couple receives, but the vows that each spouse makes to the other. As long as each spouse intends to contract a true marriage, the Sacrament is performed.

The effect of the Sacrament is an increase in sanctifying grace for the spouses, a participation in the divine life of God Himself.

Please contact Kelsie Mattingly, Director of Evangelization (kelsie@ic-olph.org) at least 6 months before your desired wedding date.  

Has anyone every clearly explained for you WHY the Catholic Church does not approve of unnatural birth control? For most of us, the answer is NO. Learn about your faith and discover a natural method of family planning that goes beyond the physical.  Register online at https://ccli.org/. Contact Kirk and Adrianne Wieber for more information (425) 239-4995 or kirkadrianne@gmail.com