"This one at last is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh."
Genesis 2:23
Begin your new life together by getting married in the Catholic Church, which by canon law all baptized Catholics are required to do, following a solid preparation for marriage. For marriage preparation, please contact the Parish Office (406) 628-7182 at least six months before your desired wedding date.
Betrothal sanctifies the engagement, and turns the ring into a sacramental. It is not required for Matrimony, but it is a great blessing. If you wish to be betrothed, contact Fr. Bart Stevens to set a time and date.
What is a traditional Betrothal Ceremony and why choose to begin an engagement with it?
The betrothal ceremony is the way in which Catholic couples enter formally into their engagement, making a solemn promise to marry and asking the Church’s blessing on their time of preparation and on their eventual marriage. It is a rich ceremony that deserves to be rediscovered and practiced on a wide scale.
One could say many things about the fittingness of solemnizing an engagement in this centuries-old way, but perhaps the most obvious benefits are that it elevates the mutual promise from a merely human act to an act blessed by Christ and the Church, sanctifies and purifies the intentions of the couple, and asks God’s graces for a peaceful and chaste engagement. It also serves, for any others who happen to attend, as a testimony to the Catholic faith the couple share and to their earnest desire to enter into the honorable state of Christian wedlock, so much under fire today. In that way it is both countercultural and evangelistic.
~ DR. PETER KWASNIEWSKI
Did you know that canon law requires all baptized Catholics to marry in the Catholic Church, unless given official permission to do otherwise? It’s important. If you married outside of the Church, we encourage you to celebrate your marriage in the Church – called convalidation. It’s not difficult to do or a lengthy process, and it brings your civil marriage “into good standing” with the Church. Convalidations are usually celebrated simply.
To learn more about Convalidations contact Fr. Bart Stevens or Deacon Dave Odermann directly.
Convalidation: Bringing Your Marriage Into The Church