Marriage in the Church

[Kanis]

I am an active Catholic, married for 26 years to a non-catholic. We raised our 2 children in the Catholic Church. I have always wanted to be married in the the church and wanted to know if this is possible since my husband is non-catholic.

Thank You,
Kathleen

 

[puzzleannie]

assuming there are no barriers (either of you married before, for instance) it is a fairly simple matter to visit your pastor and request convalidation, that is, exchanging vows in front of the priest or deacon as required by Church law for Catholics. There will be some marriage preparation involved, which will take into account your history together, and the actual wedding can be as quiet or as formal as you wish. You would also need a dispensation to marry a non-Catholic which is a routine matter, and you must agree to raise your children Catholic, and your husband must be informed of your promise.

 

[1ke]

I am an active Catholic, married for 26 years to a non-catholic. We raised our 2 children in the Catholic Church. I have always wanted to be married in the the church and wanted to know if this is possible since my husband is non-catholic.

Thank You,
Kathleen

(A) Did you marry in a civil ceremony or a non-Catholic ceremony without a dispensation? If so, you have an invalid marriage and need to go see your priest about having your marriage convalidated. It’s a fairly straightforward process. You can have a simple ceremony with the priest to convalidate the marriage.

I am assuming that neither you nor your husband had any previous marriage(s).

(B) If you married in a non-Catholic church with a dispensation, your marriage is valid and there is nothing further for you to do.

Kathleen, If it’s (A)… go talk to your priest as soon as possible to get this taken care of… 26 years is a long time to be in an invalid marriage.