“This is my commandment, that you love one another
as I have loved you.”  ~John 15:12

God has a beautiful plan for marriage…a plan that has existed from the very beginning. Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding feast in Cana, Galilee, showing us the honour and meaning of the sacrament of marriage – it is meant to be a visible sign of how Jesus loves us, His bride, the Church. A sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality. The task of marriage is to make the invisible God visible by the love a husband and wife have for each other. When a bride and groom exchange their vows at the altar, they pledge to reflect, in their relationship, the four major ways that Christ loves us His people with free, total, faithful and life-giving love.

Marriage is also a vocation along with being a sacrament, which means it is a calling from God. God has a great plan for life and love for every married couple, and just one healthy, loving, faith-filled marriage can positively impact not only the family but the entire parish and society. It takes really three to get married - the bride, the groom and God!


 

“Love that leads to marriage is a gift from God and a great act of faith toward other human beings.” ~Pope St. John Paul II

Congratulations on your engagement! We are so happy that you have chosen to have God as a foundation for your life together, by choosing to have your marriage in the Catholic Church. The celebration of the sacrament of marriage here at Ste. Anne Parish is not only beautiful to behold, it is also a blessing for our entire community and world.

Since we believe in the tremendous graces of the sacrament of Marriage, we have worked diligently to provide you with the very best journey of marriage preparation to ensure that your relationship thrives. Not only will you be able to benefit from a faith-based marriage prep retreat, you will also get to choose a mentor couple to be a witness to married love during your engagement period. This couple will connect you to our welcoming parish community and be an ongoing support for you during your time of preparation.

During the months leading up to your wedding, you will have the opportunity to be deeply engaged in a marriage formation process that allows you to experience:

• Date nights with your Witness to Love Mentor Couple
• A conversation with a couple married for more than 50 years to ask them about the secret to a life-long marriage.
• A Marriage Prep Retreat Weekend and more!

You will be joined on this journey by the priest or deacon who will celebrate your wedding, our parish Marriage Coordinators, and the Mentor Couple you have chosen. We truly believe that this process of preparing for marriage will set a strong foundation for your life together, and will also deepen your relationship to one another during your engagement.