Couples considering marriage at Sacred Heart parish should contact the pastor at least one year in advance of any possible date for the sacrament.
Attendance in Pre-Cana Classes is required.
Marriage as vocation.
The Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes and Pope John Paul II's Familiaris Consortio remind us that the way to holiness for a couple is through their vocation of marriage. "Filled with the spirit of Christ they grow in holiness and give glory to God together." Marriage could possibly be called the model vocation, as in their married life the couple is called to mirror the way Christ loves the Church (Ephesians 5:25) and be a sign of this for the whole community.
Not only the couple, but "the Christian family, reflecting and sharing in the covenant of love between Christ and the Church should show to all, the living presence of Christ and the real nature of the Church. The family will do this "through the mutual love of husband and wife, their generosity in giving life, their unity and faithfulness, and by the loving way in which all the members of the family work together."
Like any vocation, this of course isn't easy. It demands sacrifice, great virtue and prayer. Couples are called to take part in a renewal of married life, to instruct young people about marriage and to give good example so that their children will more easily find the path to holiness.