Matrimony
The Sacrament of Matrimony is a lasting commitment of a man and a woman to a lifelong partnership, established for the good of each other and the procreation of their children.
Through the sacrament, the Church teaches that Jesus gives the strength and grace to live the real meaning of marriage.
Congratulations on your decision to get married!
The Catholic Church rejoices in your decision to marry and wants to journey with you in your preparations and assist you in growing in your love for each other as well as in your relationship with Christ.
Marriage is a beautiful vocation, the beginning of family life, and a great adventure together. For more information about how to begin planning your wedding, please visit Steps to Getting Married.
Each person is called to prepare as well as possible to live our faith in our marriage and in our lives. The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton wants to help you as you begin this process. Catholic marriage preparation is mandatory for marrying in Archdiocese.
We strongly recommend that the marriage course be taken at least 4-6 months before the wedding. You will receive:
- Information about what the Church believes and teaches about Catholic marriage and family life.
- Advice and practical assistance for your daily married lives together.
- An introduction to Natural Family Planning (NFP), a reliable method of planning your family that is both based on science and in harmony with God’s design for sexual intimacy and Church teaching. NFP assists with planning or spacing births, and also often helps in working with any infertility issues.
- The witness of married couples to the Sacrament of Matrimony and how it is lived in their lives.
If a marriage preparation program is not available through your parish priest, please visit our Marriage Preparation Programs page to find some programs offered elsewhere in the Archdiocese of Edmonton.