Marriage
Marriage Preparation
Congratulations on your decision to enter Holy Matrimony in the Catholic Church. We at St. Joseph's Fullerton Parish welcome and rejoice with you! The celebration you are planning and the lifelong commitment you are choosing to make are signs of God’s great love for us all.
Before a marriage takes place, we require that you attend our Marriage Prep program.
Current available prep dates
Marriage Prep will be offered in person in the Parish Center.
Our next prep class will be Saturday, September 7th, 2024 from 8:30am - 5:30pm.
Please register online using link below. The prep class cost is $125 - lunch included.
Convalidation
Catholic Church law ordinarily requires baptized Catholics to marry before a priest or deacon. Unless they requested and received a “dispensation from canonical form”, Catholics who exchange marriage vows in the presence of only ministers from other religious traditions or authorized civic officials, are not considered validly married in the eyes of the Church. That is, they have not received the grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony. As Catholics we believe that the seven sacraments Jesus instituted are integrated and build upon each other. So, if a couple is married but has not conferred the Sacrament of Matrimony upon each other at a Nuptial Mass or ceremony, they are not free to receive the Eucharist or Reconciliation. We want to help you change that.
In technical Church terms, this is known as convalidation of a marriage. Convalidation, commonly referred to as “having a marriage blessed,” is actually much more than a blessing. At a convalidation ceremony, the husband and wife exchange their vows before a priest or deacon, thereby conferring the Sacrament of Matrimony upon each other. If you are married, but not in the Catholic Church, we encourage you to take the step of having your marriage convalidated here at St. Joseph Church. The Lord wants you to receive His love and support through the healing sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
For more information about Convalidations, contact Fr. Ned Conklin at