Matrimony

"I promise to be true to you
in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health;
I will love you and honor you
all the days of my life."

A sacrament is an outward sign of God's loving presence and action in our lives.  The Sacrament of Matrimony is the sign through which a man and a woman recognize, celebrate and deepen the love of God in their love for each other, and commit themselves to a permanent, exclusive, committed partnership of life and love with God at the center. 

Preparing for Your Wedding

If you are a Catholic who is a registered parishioner of St. Bernard's, or if you are a Catholic who is living within the territorial boundaries of St. Bernard's parish, you are encouraged to celebrate your wedding here! 

Church arrangements for weddings must be made at least 6 months ahead. We strongly advise making arrangements with the Church before signing contracts for reception plans.  Please call the Parish Office at 516-731-4220 to meet with a priest or deacon.  This initial meeting will cover all the necessary “paperwork” and will secure your wedding date on the Church calendar if everything is in order.  The priest or deacon will also explain what is expected of you regarding Marriage Preparation.

Click here to download Marriage Preparation contact form, you can fill out your contact information in advance and bring this with you to your meeting with the priest or deacon.

Preparing for Your Marriage

There is an old adage that says, a wedding is a day, a marriage a lifetime  For Christians, the Sacrament of Matrimony doesn't just happen on your wedding day, it is lived out every day of your married life as you celebrate and live God's love as a married couple!  Pay attention to these words of blessing from the Catholic wedding ritual:

Father, to reveal the plan of your love, 
you made the union of husband and wife
an image of the covenant between you and your people.
In the fulfillment of this sacrament,
the marriage of Christian man and woman
is a sign of the marriage between Christ and his Church.

Not only your wedding, but your marriage is important to us, as it is to you.  Formal preparation for Christian marriage should begin as soon as possible after your engagement, and should be completed a year to six months before your wedding.  At St. Bernard, as well as throughout the Diocese of Rockville Centre, formal marriage preparation has three components: your meetings with a priest or deacon, the FOCCUS instrument, and a marriage preparation program such as Pre-Cana sessions or Engaged Encounter weekends. (Click here to download a marriage preparation contact form

After your initial meeting with a priest or deacon, couples will be asked to complete a FOCCUS questionnaire.  FOCCUS is a self-assessment tool designed to assist couples in learning more about themselves and each other. It is not a test, but a way to foster and enhance couple communication.  At St Bernard, this is administered on-line.  Couples will be given instructions and passwords to complete the questionnaire on-line, and the couple will then meet with a married facilitator couple to help them interpret the results.

 After completing FOCCUS, the couple will enroll in a formal marriage preparation program.  For couples whose weddings will be at St Bernard, we expect that you will participate in our in-parish preparation program.  Our program meets for four consecutive Sunday evenings.  Sessions are offered in spring and fall.  For couples whose employment will not permit meeting on Sunday evenings, please inquire about other options. 

 For more information on marriage preparation, please call Deacon John at the Parish Office (516) 731-4220, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For an excellent brief article on how the Catholic Church understands the Sacrament of Matrimony, go to

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0596.asp