Marriage
Marriage
Marriage is written into who we are as men and women. Even outside of Catholicism and Christianity, marriage is promoted and emphasized. Jesus Christ raises marriage to the level of a Sacrament in His answer to the Pharisees in the Gospel of Mark (10:2-8):
“The Pharisees approached and asked, ‘Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He said to them in reply, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They replied, ‘Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.’ But Jesus told them, ‘Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two but one flesh.’”
Marriage is ordered to two ends: the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. Marriage is good for the spouses, children, and society.
If you are engaged and interested in getting married at our parishes, please call the parish office 419-738-2115. Typically marriages are scheduled at least six months before the date. Our marriage prep process involves meeting with a priest or deacon, talking with a mentor couple, and gathering with other engaged couples. It may seem like a long process, but it is ultimately because we care about your marriage and want you to have a beautiful relationship.
If you were civilly married and would like to get married sacramentally in the Church, please give us a call.
Natural Family Planning & Sexual Ethics
NFP: Brief Overview & Methods
Natural Family Planning, an approach to understanding and managing fertility approved by the Catholic Church, supports overall health awareness of the couple and affirms the dignity of marriage. It is the use of fertility awareness for pregnancy planning that allows every marital embrace to be fully unitive and fruitful. Here are some methods of NFP:
- Marquette Method: tracks hormones and provides real-time data on fertility status. Want to learn more? Interested in journeying with a Marquette Method instructor? Click here!
- Creighton Model FertilityCare System (CrMS): tracks cervical mucus changes
- Sympto-Thermal Method: tracks cervical mucus and basal body temperature
- FEMM: tracks cervical mucus and utilizes urine LH strips
- NaPro Technology: an approach to women’s healthcare that supports NFP by restoring and cooperating with fertility rather than suppressing it
Benefits of NFP
- Honors our spouse's fertility and sexuality by allowing every martial union to be fully unitive and fruitful
- Keeps us in communication with God about His will for our marriage and family
- Can decrease the time it takes for couples to conceive because they have thorough knowledge of the woman's fertility
- Allows women to identify potential health issues that may impact fertility
…and more!
Sexual Ethics
In order to share the Church’s incredible vision for human sexuality, Fr. Sean recorded four 30-minute podcast episodes, teaching sexual ethics using scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They are all available on his podcast, Homilies and more By Fr. Sean Wilson. You can find more information regarding sexual ethics in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2331–2400.
