Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word. (
Ephesians 5:25-26)
In St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, he speaks of the love that unites a couple in the sacrament of Marriage as reflecting the love that unites Christ to us, the Church. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the sacrament of Marriage "gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life (
CCC 1661)." It is only fitting that, since marriage publicly establishes a couple in their life in the Church, that the sacrament be celebrated in a public Church liturgy.
If you are already married, consider participating in a Marriage Encounter weekend for a chance to look deeply into your relationship with each other and with God. To learn more, visit the
Marriage Encounter page.
Sacramental Preparation
Couples planning to be married at SS. Peter & Paul must FIRST contact the parish office and arrange to meet the pastor, and then receive some form of marriage preparation approved by the
Diocese of Sacramento. Approved marriage preparation programs include:
Engaged Encounter. Please provide a certificate of completion.
Marriage Preparation Sessions held within a Roman Catholic parish, along with FOCCUS sessions. Please provide a certificate of completion.
Each couple planning to marry must also attend an introductory session on Natural Family Planning, and complete all necessary paperwork. Please provide a certificate of completion.
SS. Peter & Paul offers a marriage preparation program that meets over four consecutive Friday evenings from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM. There are typically two sessions each year: one in the Fall and one in the Spring. There is no charge for the program, which is facilitated by married couples. The program also includes a personalized FOCCUS questionnaire which is completed and evaluated with the couple in private sessions with a couple on our marriage preparation team.
To learn more about preparation to receive the sacrament of Marriage, or to schedule a meeting with our pastor,
Contact Us or submit the following. Generally six (6) months advance notice is required.
Annulments
If you seeking an annulment, please contact the parish office and they will be happy to assist you.