Marriage

In the Catholic Church, marriage is a sacrament. A sacrament is a sacred sign. The loving communion that exists between husband and wife reveals to us the kind of love which Christ has for us: free, faithful, fruitful and forever. From the perspective of the Catholic understanding of sacrament, the married couple not only 'mirror' or reflect God's love, they embody the presence of Christ in a unique way. They are a tangible sign of the intimate relationship we share with Jesus. We are Christ's beloved.

Our Lady of Dolours Parish is committed to celebrating and nurturing the vocation of marriage at all its stages:

Engaged Couples

The Embrace pre-marriage program is offered to engaged couples. This involves a mentoring system whereby an engaged couple meets with one of the married couples in the parish (in their home) for six sessions over the course of six weeks to watch and discuss a DVD presentation on the meaning and gift of marriage.

For more information on Embrace, please contact Elizabeth and Graham 9419 4297 or Liz Fenech 9662 7272.

The parish can also direct engaged couples to other pre-marriage coursesin the diocese.

 

Weddings

A simple brochureis available which answers frequently asked questions about weddings in the parish. Briefly, to book a wedding, phone Nicole or Lyn at the parish office on 9412 1042 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 2.30pm) and they will explain the procedure and send you a wedding booking form and information pack.

Further enquiries can be directed to the Sacramental Minister or one of the priests on 9410 9000.

Parishioners Joe and Maria Woods are available to assist with your ceremony. They can be contacted via the parish office.

 

Married couples

Marriage is a journey and it is vital that a husband and wife keep growing in and working at their love for each other. The parish recommends and sometimes hosts marriage enrichment seminars:
Celebrate Love
Marriage Encounter
We also encourage the blessing of couples at key milestones in their lives: e.g. an engagement or a special anniversary such as 10, 25 or 50 years. This is a beautiful gesture, not only for the couple, but for the whole parish who have a very real investment in their love! A blessing and renewal of wedding vows can be arranged at one of the Sunday Masses. Contact the parish office for more details.

 

Marriage is not an easy vocation, and our parish is keen to reach out to:
Couples who are having marital difficulties:
Retrouvaille
Centacare Broken Bay

From the Catholic perspective, married couples are called to a challenging vocation indeed, one which is different from marriage outside the Catholic Church. It involves not only two people, but a community of people. It carries with it great responsibilities. This is why divorce is taken so seriously in the Catholic Church. Having said that, the Catholic Church recognises that people do not always marry wisely, and at times enter into relationships which in hindsight never had the foundations of a valid marriage. In such cases couples can request an annulment. In the annulment process, the Church (via a marriage tribunal) examines the circumstances of the marriage and makes a judgment as to its validity or otherwise. If a marriage is to be found to have been invalid, the marriage is annulled and the person is free to marry in the Catholic Church again. Where a marriage is found to have been valid, remarriage is not permitted. This does not imply, however, a rejection of the person or an exclusion from taking part in the overall life of the Church. Annulments, divorce and remarriage are a delicate subject, and care should be taken to seek expert advice for each specific case.

For further information about the annulment process, contact the marriage tribunal in Broken Bay Diocese Ph 02 9847 0458
Fax: 02 9847 0221   Email: tribunal@brokenbay.catholic.org.au

See also:
When Dreams Die, a pastoral letter by the Australian Bishops
The Beginning Experience, a weekend program of healing and renewal for those who find themselves single again.
Seasonsis another program of healing for people who have suffered the pain of divorce, both adults and children.