Parishes celebrate community weddings for the first time

Intermountain Catholic

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Couples exchange rings during the communal Sacrament of Marriage ceremony at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on Aug. 18. IC photo/ Laura Vallejo

OGDEN/SALT LAKE CITY – Two parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City celebrated community weddings for the first time, making it possible for dozens of couples to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony. Many of these couples have been married civilly for years but for various reasons weren’t married in the church; one couple has been married for 67 years.

At Saint Joseph Parish in Ogden, nine couples were married in the church on Aug. 4.

"This is a great response," said Deacon Honorio Moreno, who assisted in the ceremony. "It is very important that people who wanted to bless their marriage are now able to do so. They are very excited."

"We are very happy to welcome these couples here in our parish," said Father José A. Barrera Hernández, St. Joseph parochial vicar, as he mentioned each one of the couples during the celebration.

On Aug. 18, Father Oscar Martínez celebrated the Sacrament of Matrimony for 19 couples at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. "We are very happy to welcome these couples in our parish," said Fr. Martinez. "These couples have been saying ‘yes’ to each other for a long time, but today they are saying ‘yes’ in this parish, before Our Lady of Guadalupe."

Two days before the celebration all the couples gathered to clean the church and place flower arrangements for the event.

"All the community gathered to help," said Patricia Reynoso, who helped organize the event. "This is setting an example of the importance of marriage for future generations."

"We have to emphasized the importance of marriage and of a solid marriage – I mean, this is not a disposable thing," said Miguel Reynoso.

Aracely Garay, Sofia Palestino, the Estrada family and, the Vazquez family gathered to organize and help the couples who were to be married at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish with all the paper work, the donation of pictures and video, flower arrangements, decorations, and all the other necessary details to make the day unforgettable for each one of the couples.