We understand that not everyone shares in our Catholic faith, but we are so honored to invite you to share in this beautiful encounter with Jesus uniting us together in marriage. As Catholics, our marriage is meant to represent the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church (us), a relationship of unconditional and sacrificial love.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church includes a powerful description of this imagery:
God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes.
CCC 1604
We ask for your continued prayers as we prepare to enter into marriage and our vocation to love each other fully, totally, freely, and fruitfully. We are immensely grateful for this gift from God and we pray that one day we may all be in communion with Christ in the eternal wedding banquet of Heaven.
Which church is the nuptial mass in?
The wedding mass will be at 2pm in the old church at the St. Mary's Catholic Center campus. The Catholic center just built a new larger church with a big dome on top. We are not getting married in this church but the older church that is connected to the student center. This church is the red brick building with the white steeple and pillars in the front. The mass will begin at 2pm so we please ask that you arrive no later than 1:45pm so that you are able to find parking and make sure you are in the right building with enough time to get settled before the mass begins :) If you have any questions about the location, please contact Emma at (832) 509-9724.
How can I support the couple during the ceremony if I'm from a different faith or am not religious?
Prayer can be defined as a longing of the heart. While you are present at a Catholic Mass to support a couple you know and love, give your heart space to long, to desire, for their eternal happiness, faithful love and total commitment to each other. This couple has invited you to be a part of their special day to not only celebrate the beginning of their married lives, but to also celebrate the history of their lives that led them to this day.
Being present at a wedding ceremony is about a reciprocity of love—offering love for the new couple and receiving their love for your role in their life. Differences in faith or spirituality do not take away from this meaningful sharing of the heart.
What is communion? Can I take communion? What should I do during communion?
Catholics believe that the simple bread and wine presented on the altar during communion at a Mass become the living, real presence of Jesus - His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. To receive communion is to receive the very Body of Jesus Christ.
If you practice a different faith, do not share this belief, or have not been actively practicing the Catholic faith, you are invited to remain present in the Mass without receiving communion.
As the congregation processes to the front of the church during communion, you can choose to receive a blessing - by walking forward with your arms crossed on your chest so each hand rests on the opposite shoulder - or to remain at your seat. Either way, this is a time for reflection and prayer.
Are there guidelines about what to wear?
During the Mass, Catholics celebrate coming face-to-face with the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, who is fully present in the Eucharist (communion). Maintaining a sense of reverence and modesty in respect for the beliefs of the Catholic faith is a safe policy when choosing what to wear at a Catholic wedding. We ask that you consider modesty in your attire out of reverence for the sacrament and the presence of Jesus at our wedding.
Please refrain from wearing jeans, shorts, strapless dresses, or hats. We appreciate your reverence in respecting this sacred space and event.
