When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.
— Genesis 2:21-24

Congratulations on your engagement! Marriage is the beginning of a life-long commitment and the beginning of a family. It provides an opportunity to grow in selflessness as you serve each other and your children. Marriage is more than a physical union; it is also a spiritual and emotional union. This union mirrors the one between God and His Church.

Sacred Scripture begins with the creation and union of man and woman and ends with "the wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:7, 9).

By their marriage, the couple witnesses Christ's spousal love for the Church. One of the Nuptial Blessings in the liturgical celebration of marriage refers to this in saying, "Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church."

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy.

If you are planning to get married at SS Genevieve and Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish, please, contact the office at least 6 months before the wedding date. If there are impediments to your marriage, please, do not start planning process until those are resolved.

If you are ready to formalize your relationship and commitment to each other and to receive God’s blessing in marriage, please call the rectory at (773) 237-3011.