Office of Marriage and Family Life

“Christian marriage, as a reflection of the union between Christ and his Church, is fully realized
in the union between a man and a woman who give themselves to each other in a free, faithful
and exclusive love, who belong to each other until death and are open to
the transmission of life, and are consecrated by the sacrament, which
grants them the grace to become a domestic church and a leaven
of new life for society.”

In Gaudium et Spes, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council call marriage a “community of life and love” and tell us that “God himself is the author of marriage.” Thus a man and a woman, when they marry, enter into a covenant with each other and with God; giving their lives to each other in order to form this community.

Pope Paul VI then goes on to say that the purpose of this community is the generation and education of children. The Catholic home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason, the family home is rightly called “the domestic church,” a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.

On April 22, 2019, Bishop Vasa promulgated (“made public“) the newly updated Marriage Preparation Policy for the Diocese of Santa Rosa. The Marriage and Family Life Office had been directed by Bishop Vasa to develop an updated Marriage Preparation Policy to help guide engaged couples as they prepare for the joy and beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic Church. The updated policy contains some exciting components and tools to aid in the formation of engaged couples as they prepare themselves for marriage.

The newly updated Marriage Preparation Policy  was fully implemented on January 1, 2020  and is now mandated for all engaged couples preparing for marriage and living within the Diocese of Santa Rosa.  Please go to the Marriage Preparation page for more information on the marriage preparation process.  

Click here to read Bishop Vasa’s “Decree” of the updated Marriage Preparation Policy.

Click here to read the entire updated Marriage Preparation Policy    

If you have any questions, please contact the Marriage and Family Life Office at:                  (707) 566-3305   or   familylife@srdiocese.org


 

 

Office of Marriage and Family Life

Deacon Dave and Carlin Gould
familylife@srdiocese.org

Family Life Office
(707) 566-3305

“The welfare fo the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.” ~ Amoris Laetitia, 31

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