All love comes from God, and all love reflects the love that God has for His creation. The Sacrament of Marriage is, first and foremost, a sign and symbol of this love. Marriage is a sacrament of the self-giving love which two people offer to each other. The love which a couple have for each other mirrors the love God has for men and women.
The minister of the Sacrament of Marriage is the couple themselves. The priest serves as a witness.
Marriage Preparation
Please contact the Parish Office one year in advance of your planned marriage date.
618-345-4343
Married couples from our parish are assisting by working with engaged couples. The ministering couple’s primary function is to administer the F.O.C.C.U.S. (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) instrument and facilitate engaged couples communication through a guided format.
The intent is to enhance engaged couples communication skills, encourage relationship and increase awareness of areas of married life that may have been overlooked. The goal is to prepare couples for the fullness of matrimonial relationship.
Contact: Jim and Diane Hill – 344-7985
Marriage Encounter
Marriage Encounter is dedicated to the principle that strong Catholic Marriages make strong Catholic Families and thus, enrich our church. Founded in Spain in the late 1960s, it is a weekend experience starting Friday evening and ending Sunday afternoon.
The marriage encounter deals mostly with communication. The program is presented by three married couples and a priest, whose presentations are of their own relationships and experience. It encourages couples to share privately various aspects of their relationship. Methods of sharing and listening from the heart are put forth.
Endorsed by our parish priests, many other couples, and our Holy Father, Marriage Encounter has been shown to positively influence couples relationships on many fronts, even decades after the weekend. The best testimony is to ask the children of an encountered couple.
Contact: Jim and Diane Hill – 344-7985
