Why a Marriage Ministry Team?

Why a Marriage Ministry Team?

Our pastor, Msgr. Gervasio, said, “The answer is simple—marriage matters! A parish should not be content with providing only a good preparation for marriage. It should also be eager to accompany a couple on the road of married life. In a culture that believes that it is impossible to love another person ‘forever’ we should look to provide tools to sustain and enrich the journey. As Pope Francis has said, ‘Forever’ is not simply a question of duration! A marriage does not succeed just because it lasts; its quality is also important.”

To these ends, the Marriage Ministry Team of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony focuses on helping couples strengthen their marriage with Christ at the center. Our mission is to serve our parish community and celebrate the sacrament of marriage, supporting each other through worship, liturgy, and marriage enrichment.

We celebrate the sacrament of marriage by having an Anniversary Mass at which time the couples reaffirm their wedding vows, and offer a Mass and dinner for engaged and newly married couples.  We offer evenings of recollection for couples to set aside time to refresh their relationship. Currently we are starting a program for married parishioners to pray for engaged couples throughout their preparation of marriage. Might you be interested in volunteering?

Some future events we are planning include: a Mentoring Program, a Married Couples Retreat, a day of recollection for the widowed, a seminar for new parents, Stations of the Cross for couples, and a family rosary, as well as a Meet and Greet at 7 pm on March 20.
We invite anyone interested in helping us promote the sacrament of marriage to join our team. The level of involvement is up to you. We meet on a monthly basis at the church or at the residence of one of our team members.

There are brochures at the entrances of the church with more information on the Marriage Ministry. You can also view us on the parish website under Ministries, then Life Cycle Ministries, then Marriage Ministry. Email us at [email protected] with any questions.