Just was baptized. How do we have our marriage convalidated?

[a_boylan]

*Hello,

    My husband and I have been married for 3 years now. We got married on a beach by a notary of public. I just was baptized at the Easter vigil and converted in being catholic. My husband was brought up catholic, but hasn't attended mass regularly since we have been married. 
      My husband and I have never been married before.  We have never dated any other people , we were each others first's. We have two small children together, we were married prior to having children. We both have lived a faithful way. Does this mean my husband is living in sin by marrying me outside the catholic church? Would he have to go and take classes to come back to his faith, but he still is a believer.  Would we have to meet with a priest for six months for preparation? How long does this process take? *

Thank u

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

Since your husband is a baptized Catholic, any marriage that he entered into outside of the Catholic faith would automatically be invalid. Ordinarily, you would have needed to wait to enter the Church until your marriage was convalidated (blessed). If your RCIA leaders knew about your marriage being invalid, they should have told you.

Now what to do: Now that you know that your marriage is invalid, you need to live in a celibate way until the marriage can be blessed. Since neither of you have been validly married to anyone else, this shouldn’t take long to do. See your priest about this right away. Feel free to contact me privately if you need to. Just click on my name. You are in my prayers.

Fr. VIncent Serpa, O.P.