Congratulations!
A Christian marriage is more than a solemn exchange of vows by an engaged couple. The marriage rite is both a personal and public celebration. It is an act of worship in which the bride and groom come together to celebrate and become a Sacrament. The couple offers thanks and praise, together with their family and friends, and asks for God’s blessing on their life together as husband and wife.
We at St. Isidore take the commitment you are making very seriously and look forward to supporting and assisting you as you begin your lifelong journey.
Couples wishing to enter into the Sacrament of Matrimony must be registered and active members of St. Isidore Parish or have a letter of permission from the church at which they are registered.
First Steps to Take…
- Couples wishing to marry at St. Isidore are asked to call the parish office (630-529-3045) at least 6 months before the wedding to reserve the date and start the marriage preparation process.
- Weddings are held on Fridays at 4:30pm and on Saturdays at 1:00pm & 3:00pm, with a choice of the chapel or the main church. Weddings are not held on Sundays.
- The marriage preparation consists of 3 workshops (FOCCUS session followed by an appointment with the priest, Becoming One Workshop, and finally the Music & Liturgy Workshop) that the couple must attend, as well as the required forms and documents (new sacramental certificates, affidavits, etc.). Once the wedding date is reserved you will receive dates and details regarding the marriage preparation.
Here is what the Catholic Catechism has to say about marriage in the Church:
- The matrimonial covenant by which a man and a woman 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. (1601)
- The parties to a marriage covenant are a baptized man and woman, free to contract marriage, who freely express their consent; “to be free” means: 1) not being under constraint and 2) not impeded by any natural or ecclesiastical law. (1625)
- Why should the couples be prepared for marriage? So that the “I do” of the spouses may be a free and responsible act, and so that the marriage covenant may have solid and lasting human and Christian foundations, preparation is of prime importance. . . . It is imperative to give suitable and timely instruction to young people, above all in the heart of their own families, about the dignity of married love, its role and exercise, so that, having learned the value of chastity, they will be able at a suitable age to engage in honorable courtship and enter upon a marriage of their own. (1632)
Questions? Send them to weddings@stisidoreparish.org or call 630-529-3045.