Matrimony
Congratulations on your engagement! We rejoice with you and your fiancée on this wonderful occasion. It is an exciting time and there are a lot of preparations. Diocesan regulations require that you contact one of the Cathedral clergy at least six months before the wedding to begin preparations. You must be a parishioner in order to be married in the Cathedral. After registering, (click register here if you are not already a parishioner), please complete the Sacrament of Marriage Inquiry form below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Rectory at 703-525-1300.
Sacrament of Marriage Inquiry Form
About the Sacrament of Matrimony
As related in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Jesus brought to full awareness the divine plan for marriage. In John’s Gospel, Christ’s first miracle occurs at the wedding in Cana. “The Church attaches great importance to Jesus’ presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ’s presence.”
By their marriage, the couple witnesses Christ’s spousal love for the Church. One of the Nuptial Blessings in the liturgical celebration of marriage refers to this in saying, “Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church.”
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy.
Please note the Cathedral will undergo renovations beginning January 1, 2023 and will be closed for at least one year. Please contact the rectory for more information.
Required Forms
As part of the marriage preparation, couples are each asked to have two affidavits completed and notarized.
