From the Pastor's Desk - July 12, 2026

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

Confusion about marriage is one of the issues I deal with most frequently as a priest. There are many false assumptions about what the Church teaches, so it is best to be as clear as possible without beating around the bush.

Marriage is the lifelong communion of life between one man and one woman for the purposes of procreation and education of children and the union of the spouses. Although marriage is a natural institution as part of God’s creation, Christ raised it to the level of a sacrament between two baptized individuals. As a baptized Catholic, if one pursues the vocation of marriage, he or she has the obligation to be married in the Church.

Sometimes people do not get married in the Church, because they think that their non-Catholic spouse would have to convert. This is certainly not the case. A Catholic can marry a baptized non-Catholic or an unbaptized person in the Church, and there is no obligation for the other person to convert. The only thing that the non-Catholic person has to be aware of is the Catholic’s responsibility to raise any children in the Catholic faith. Other people think that they can’t get married in the Church if they aren’t marrying a Catholic. They suppose that marriage in the Church is only between two Catholics. Again, this is not the case. Whether a Catholic marries another Catholic or a non-Catholic, the obligation to get married in the Church still applies.

Sometimes the non-Catholic party insists on the marriage taking place in his or her own place of worship. For example, an Evangelical spouse might insist that the marriage to a Catholic take place in the Evangelical church. This actually does not present a problem. The couple can go through marriage preparation with the Catholic priest, and the priest can obtain a dispensation for the Catholic to be married in a non-Catholic church. Their marriage would still be valid.

The important thing to keep in mind is that a baptized Catholic is obligated to be married in the Church, no matter the religion of whom they are marrying. If a Catholic is cohabitating (living as a married couple outside of marriage) or if a Catholic’s marriage is outside of the Church (without a dispensation), the Catholic party should refrain from receiving Holy Communion until the marriage is validated in the Church.

I understand that my explanation probably brings up as many questions as it answers, so that is why as priests we always welcome you reaching out to get any clarification you need about a particular situation.

In Christ,

Fr. Dave