Fall Marriage Convalidation Offered
If you and your spouse were married in a civil ceremony outside of the Catholic Church or a non-Catholic religious ceremony without a Catholic dispensation, we would like to invite you to a special two-day Marriage Convalidation program here at St. John, Oct. 5 & 26.
The convalidation program prepares couples to bring their civil or non-Catholic marriage into a sacramental marriage recognized by the Church. This is what is often referred to as “having your marriage blessed.” At the heart of the process is the renewing of your vows in the presence of God and His Church.
Our amazing mentor couples and St. John the Evangelist clergy and staff will guide you on your journey to sacramental marriage to bring you, your spouse, and your family into a closer relationship with God and be filled with the graces of the Holy Spirit to faithfully face the joys and challenges of married life.
Group Preparation
The fall sessions will be held in the Parish Office Great Room on:
Saturday, Oct. 5, 8:30a.m. – 12:30p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 8:30a.m. – 12:30p.m.
You must attend both dates in the fall session. Childcare is available.
Our Convalidation ceremony will be Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1:30p.m.
Once you register, all couples will be scheduled for a prenuptial investigation with Dcn. Mike Tiné or other clergy member prior to the start of any preparation.
The fee is $50, which includes light refreshments before each session, and the group ceremony on Dec. 8. Private ceremonies must be arranged with Dcn. Mike and may include a church fee. Private ceremonies will be scheduled based on availability and completion of all preparation. If you have any questions at all, please contact Dcn. Mike at mtine@stjohnsp.org.
If you cannot attend these sessions but are interested in joining us in a future session, please contact Judy Tacyn, Marriage Preparation Coordinator, at jtacyn@stjohnsp.org.
Private Preparation
Couples unable to attend the in-person sessions may also consider private sessions consisting of four meetings, which are available year-round. The cost for this self-paced course is $125, and may include a church fee. Ceremonies will be scheduled based on availability and completion of all preparation. Please contact Judy at jtacyn@stjohnsp.org or 443-261-0152 to begin.
Register for fall Marriage Convalidation before Sept. 29, 2024.
Why a Sacramental Marriage?
God has an amazing plan for your marriage! A sacramental marriage is meant to be the clearest sign of God’s love for his people, the Church, when a husband and wife make visible on earth the invisible love of God! While a civil marriage is a contract regulated by the state, a sacramental marriage is a covenant entered into by the couple with each other and God himself, and that is so beautiful!
“The marriage bond has been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage between baptized persons can never be dissolved. This bond, which results from the free human act of the spouses and their consummation of the marriage, is a reality, henceforth irrevocable, and gives rise to a covenant guaranteed by God’s fidelity.” Catholic Catechism #1639-1640
In Genesis 1:26, God said: "Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness.” God desires us to model his image most especially in the Sacrament of Marriage, in which the two become one. In the marriage bond, husband and wife are joined to the sacrificial love of the Trinity. The Church teaches that this sacrament is life-changing where “the strength will be given you, as much as you need, and as often as you ask, and as soon as you ask, and generally long before you ask for it.”