The Catholic Church has established a number of basic requirements for the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage. In order to fulfill these requirements, the Diocese of Sacramento has adopted the policy that engaged couples desiring to be married in the Catholic Church must contact their parish priest at least six months prior to the anticipated wedding date. We strongly recommend that you contact the parish office to reserve the date of your wedding one year in advance and before you reserve a place for your reception. We will only reserve a wedding date up to two years in advance of your desired date.
Weddings take place on most Saturdays between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Weddings can be celebrated on any day except Sundays at Sacred Heart Church. Usually, rehearsals take place on the evening before the wedding day between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
For more information, please contact the Parish Office at 916-452-4136 ext. 2 or by email at shchurchoffice@gmail.com.
The sacrament of Marriage is a blessed occasion as a man and a woman come together before God and in front of their families and friends to devote heart and soul to one another for a lifetime. Simply put, a Christian marriage is not simply a civil contract between two persons; rather, it is a holy covenant involving three persons. The couple is joined on their life’s journey by Jesus Christ, who promises to bless, sustain, and rejoice in their union. A wedding is indeed a sacred occasion as well as a time of great joy and celebration.
I wish to get married at Sacred Heart Church, what are the rules?
If one of the parties has been previously married, even in a civil ceremony and their former spouse is still living, a church decree of nullity is required before initiating the marriage preparation process. This is true even if the party with the prior marriage is not a Catholic. The couple is asked to contact the parish clergy to discuss their particular circumstances.
A Christian marriage is a sacramental relationship in which a couple establishes a partnership for the entire life. It is a holy covenant of life and love, demanding a mature commitment and conscious decision to love from the partners—one that should not be entered into lightly. Sadly, the reality is that not all marriages succeed. People have entered marriages without sufficient readiness. Some other factors may also have existed which mar the commitment, resulting in breakdown and failure.
The Church presumes that every marriage is valid unless proven otherwise. If there has been a marriage of any kind (religious or civil) ended by a divorce, some Church process is required before a previously married person is recognized as free to marry in the Catholic Church. This applies even if the partners in the former marriage were not Catholic. The Church considers a marriage entered into by two non-Catholics, Christian or other, to be true marriages. Therefore, any previous marriage is an obstacle to a new marriage with a Catholic ceremony.
Not every marriage needs the same kind of process. What is needed depends upon the unique circumstances of each marriage.
Sacred Heart Parish has trained Parish Advocates to assist a person through the annulment process. For more information, please contact the Parish Office at 916-452-4136.