Holy Matrimony
Marriage, also known as matrimony, is a sacrament in the Catholic Church; it is the sacred union of one male to one female in order to come closer to God as an expression of love for one other, reflecting Christ’s devotion to His Church.
Marriage is a sacred covenant between each spouse with each other and with God.
In the sacrament of marriage, the couple marry each other and promise to help build each other up in faith, serve each other and the Church and be faithful to each other until death. The priest or deacon is there to witness and bless the sacrament which the couple minister to each other.
A sacrament is an outward expression of inward grace. Each spouse in the marriage acts as a conduit of God’s grace to the other spouse. Christ is the source of this grace and the spouses serve as Christ to each other.
All Sacraments Need Preparation
There are various Civil and Church requirements to be fulfilled before a marriage, which can take time. So in the first instance, contact the Priest to arrange the date.
There are also two very useful booklets in the links below, that give details of the various statutory requirements and suggestions for appropriate readings and music.
Your first point of contact for marriage in the parish will be the relevant priest who will meet you both and advise on preparation and dates. Please email:
St. Josephs and St. Elizabeth’s – Fr Ephraim Odhiambo eodhiambo@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
St. Edmund Campion – Fr Liam Cummins lcummins@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
St. Thomas More – Fr. Kevin Hughes khughes@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
HOLY BOND OF UNITY
Marriage Preparation
Couples are required to attend a Marriage preparation course before their wedding: this is for all engaged couples, teaching them to build a strong foundation for their married lives together.
These sessions are also suitable for married couples or couples in long term relationships and teach them to strengthen their relationship with each other. All these courses take place in person or online, led by Marriage Care. https://www.marriagecare.org.uk
For more information including upcoming Marriage Care course dates, please contact:
St. Josephs and St. Elizabeth via the parish office office@stjosephsparish.co.uk
St. Edmund Campion via the parish office office@stedmundcampion.org.uk
St. Thomas More via the parish office stmtwyford@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
Further Reading on Marriage
There are resources available to assist couples planning to marry in our parish. To download each, click on the links below.
Mark 10:9
What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
