Contact: Nancy Mierswa, 201-327-1313, ext. 839 email: nmierswa@churchofpresentation.org

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

Here at the Church of the Presentation, we hold in highest regard the most precious gift of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. We encourage our engaged couples to enter into a sacramental union, and to celebrate their love for each other, through the Sacrament of Matrimony as a response to God’s call  to holiness.

Marriage is sacred because it is instituted by God in the Scriptures. God willed it so that he made marriage the pinnacle and the crowning glory of His Creation when He created Eve and gave her as an equal companion to Adam. Marriage is the “signature of God” that marked the end of His Creation, as when He saw the work of His hands, He called everything He had Created good (cf. Gen 1:26-31).

The Sacrament of Matrimony is a particular spirituality (i.e., a way of living out one’s calling to holiness) that helps husbands and wives live out their vocations in their Christian communities in light of Christian faith.

In our parish community here at Presentation, we value catholic marriage as a distinctive spirituality that is sacramental, communitarian, and missionary. It is sacramental because, through it, Christ’s unbreakable love for his people is made visible for others to see; as one body, the couples become themselves witnesses to God’s loving presence and generous action in the world. It is communitarian because they bring new life to our faith community – through their prayers and Christian example – provide healing to the brokenness of families in the world, and share their gifts with the whole parish community. It is missionary because our married couples show others what it means to be in a loving and faithful relationship where Jesus Christ is at the center.

Sacramental Preparation
Marriage preparation is required for all engaged couples prior to their wedding. The process takes about one year to complete.

Scheduling the Wedding Date
Contact Nancy Mierswa to check available church dates. Then contact one of our parish priests to determine his availability and to schedule your initial meeting to begin the necessary paperwork. Visiting priests are welcome to be a part of your ceremony.

Pre-Cana
Pre-Cana is an experience based on listening and communication. Through a healthy expression of ideas, couples can reveal their own feelings of marriage, and with the guidance of trained married couples or their priests or deacon, internalize the basic concept of Christian marriage.

Pre-Cana is mandatory for those wishing to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony. During the year of preparation, you may choose to participate in a Diocesan program or the parish’s Wedding Preparation Weekend.

Wedding Preparation Weekend
The Church of the Presentation’s Preparation Weekend is an opportunity to attend “Pre-Cana” at our parish. It is offered twice a year. We promise that your participation in this weekend will bring clarity and perspective to this wonderful time in your life. The weekend begins on Saturday morning with an exciting day of sharing and reflection on the joys and realities of marriage facilitated by married couples of the parish. The day concludes with the Saturday evening Liturgy.

The Sunday session provides an overview of the liturgical preparation. Brides and grooms are appraised of all the liturgical options for their wedding. The weekend ends with Wedding Music Preparation. You will hear music selections appropriate for your Mass or Ceremony performed by our organist, soloists and instrumentalists.

Convalidation
The Catholic Church invites you new meaning to your marriage, by embracing the vocation of marriage and dedicating your families’ mission to sharing God’s love.

Contact Nancy Mierswa if you were married in a civil ceremony and now wish to be married “in the Church.”