Marriage
God created man and woman out of love and commanded them to imitate his love in their relations with each other. Man and woman were created for each other…Woman and man are equal in human dignity, and in marriage both are united in an unbreakable bond. (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Ch. 21, p. 279)
Marriage is a Sacrament
The sacrament of marriage is a visible sign of God’s love for the Church. When a man and a woman are married in the Church, they receive the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity.
Marriage is a Covenant
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenantal union in the image of the covenants between God and his people with Abraham and later with Moses at Mt. Sinai. This divine covenant can never be broken. In this way, marriage is a union that bonds spouses together during their entire lifetime. The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. (CCC 1661). The love in a married relationship is exemplified in the total gift of one’s self to another. It’s this self-giving and self-sacrificing love that we see in our other model of marriage, the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Marriage Reflects the Holy Trinity
We believe that God exists in eternal communion. Together, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in one being with no beginning and no end. Human beings, likewise, were created by God in God’s image for the purpose of communion with another human being.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2205). The Sacrament of Marriage is “unitive, indissoluble and calls us to be completely open to fertility.” Christian marriage at its finest is a reflection of God’s self-giving love expressed between the love of two people.
Wedding Inquiry
Diocesan Guidelines for Couples Out-of-State Requesting Marriage in Hawai'i
Mahalo for your interest in getting married at Sacred Heart Church / in the beautiful State of Hawai'i.
The Diocese of Honolulu has provided guidelines for couples out-of-state requesting a Catholic ceremony in Hawai'i — please read them HERE.
For Renewal of Vows/Anniversary Blessings
You must provide a copy of your Catholic Marriage Certificate. A photo or copy is fine; the original is not needed. Please email it to us at shc.wilder@rcchawaii.org.
Additional Marriage Related Resources:
For those discerning the vocation of marriage (whether single or dating):
Videos by Jackie and Bobby Angel, Produced by Ascension Presents
Can a Catholic Marry A Non-Catholic?
Video by Father Mike Schmitz, Produced by Ascension Presents