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You are engaged to be married and, desiring the blessing of God on your
union, have approached the Church to witness and seal your vows to each
other. Marriage is a divine vocation involving an enduring sacred
relationship lived in the community of the Church and the wider human
family. For baptized Christians, it is a sacrament of Christ’s love
expressed in a couple’s living their marriage vows day to day in the grace
of God.
In ministering to engaged couples local parishes and campus ministries are
guided by the Pastoral Policies and Guidelines for Marriage Preparation,
issued by the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey. These Policies and Guidelines
are also an expression of the Church’s wish to be of practical assistance to
you as you embark upon what perhaps is the most important decision and
commitment of your life.
The marriage covenant is by divine law indissoluble. It is a covenant
promising enduring love between the parties and an openness to children who
will be born from their loving union. The Church community stands ready to
be of continuing support to couples who are preparing for and who are living
out their marriage covenant in the Lord.
The pastoral assistance of the Church will involve meeting with the Church’s
pastoral minister. The process will help you to discern your readiness for
marriage, to be affirmed by your strengths and to deal objectively, honestly
and confidently with issues that call for further communication, conversion,
and deeper growth. More than ever, this is a time for you to seek God’s
assistance, to forge a bonded spirituality, to worship together, and to
participate in the sacramental life of the Church.