"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body." Genesis 2:24
Matrimony is one of the two sacraments of service. Married couples promise to serve each other with love and to serve the whole Church. They enter into a lifelong covenant of love. This is their vocation. They serve the Church by their love and they share in God's creation in a special way when they give birth to children. In Matrimony, God gives a man and woman the special grace and blessings to build a Christian family together. The Church celebrates the call to love in a special way in the sacrament of Matrimony or marriage. The Sacrament of Matrimony, whereby a man and woman are joined together in a life-long union of procreative love, is a calling from God. The creator established this purpose from the very beginning by the very manner in which He made men and women. Jesus taught that the nature of marriage itself reflects the indivisible unity of the love of God. In this way Jesus raised the natural bond of marriage to a supernatural sacrament of life and love. The movement toward this life choice, the union of marriage, is, therefore, a moment requiring careful deliberation and spiritual preparation.
The parish office should be contacted as soon as the couple has gotten engaged so that the desired date of marriage and appropriate arrangements and preparation can be made, 419-447-2087. Individual sessions with the parish clergy and attendance at a Pre-Cana session are required for marriage. If one or both partners have been married before, the couple can work with someone on the staff to receive an annulment.
Engaged Couples Information
The Diocese of Toledo requires couples contemplating marriage to attend an Engaged Couples Conference (preferably six months prior to the wedding date). The conference is a daylong program facilitated by a team of married couples from the respective parishes. The purpose of the day is to provide input and discussion time for couples to explore their relationship and prepare for marriage. St. Joseph and St. Mary Parishes of Tiffin offer several opportunities for engaged couples to attend an Engaged Couples Conference. The suggested donation for the day is $10 per couple.
St. Mary sponsored conferences will be held in Room 22 of St. Mary's School building.
St. Joseph sponsored conferences will be held in the Upper Room of the St. Joseph Activity Center (56 Melmore St., Tiffin, OH)
Current Engaged Couples Classes are:
- March 3, 2024 at St. Mary
- July 21, 2024 at St. Joseph
- November 24, 2024 at St. Mary
To register for a conference date at St. Mary you can call the parish office manager at 419-447-2087 or you can fill out the online form below and submit it.
To register for a conference date at St. Joseph please call St. Joseph Church at 419-447-5848.
To view our Marriage Booklet please click here.
Annulments
Trained advocates are available to assist members of the parish who wish to pursue an annulment. Each petitioner is required to meet with an advocate and then begin the application process for the annulment. More details regarding annulments can be found on the Toledo Diocese website or you can email a Priest to contact you.