National Marriage Week and World Marriage Day

The observances of National Marriage Week (February 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, February 11) are opportunities to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. The theme of the week for 2024 is "Love Beyond Words."

National Marriage Week and World Marriage Day provide us an opportunity to celebrate Christian marriage honoring husbands and wives as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society, and the beauty of the faithfulness, sacrifices, and joys of daily married life. In addition, National Marriage Week encourages building a culture of life and love that begins with promoting and defending marriage and the family. The way in which we build such a culture is to encourage those who are married to live out the sacrament they have received.

Celebrations in Our Diocese

Christian Life Center, Frenchville

The Christian Life Center invites all married couples to come and celebrate their marriage with renewal of their vows and with fellowship at a Valentine's Day dinner on Friday, February 9. The dinner will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the center, located at 444 U.S. Route One in Frenchville. The cost is $50 per couple. To register: 207-543-6193. The registration deadline is February 6.

Parish of the Holy Eucharist, Falmouth

Dress to the nines and dine with those you love at the Parish of the Holy Eucharist's St. Valentine's Day Ball, which will be held February 10 at 5 p.m. at Holy Martyrs of North America Church, 266 Foreside Road in Falmouth. Tickets are $5 per person or $20 per family and include a buffet dinner with music for dancing provide by a Dan Dibaise, a local DJ. You can register here.

St. Mary of the Visitation Parish, Houlton

St. Mary of the Visitation Parish invites you to a Celebration of Marriage Dinner on Saturday, February 10, at the parish center, 112 Military Street in Houlton. The dinner begins with hors d'oeuvres at 6 p.m. followed by a steak or haddock meal at 6:30 p.m. Sign-up sheets are available at the entrances of the church or if you have special dietary needs or would like more information, contact Michael Dobbs at 207-694-5684 or [email protected]

Message from Bishop Robert Deeley

National Marriage Week and World Marriage Day are opportunities to remind ourselves of the importance of promoting a culture of love that is rooted in a foundation of marriage and family. These observances also call us to lift up married couples in prayer as we celebrate the gift of marriage and ask God to help couples grow in love with each other.

Each spouse seeks to serve the other so that what they create is more than either of them apart. They are a couple and they become a family helping each other to grow in an appreciation of God’s gift of love. Together, they seek to know how it is to be lived in our world. It is for this reason that we speak of Christian marriage as a vocation. It shows forth, in its self-giving, the generous love of God we find in Jesus. In their unselfish love and care for each other and their children, we can see, concretely, in human flesh, the love of God.

As we celebrate marriage, we remember that God, in Jesus, is always with us and, with his help and grace, assists us in all our efforts to live the love he calls us to share. May our married couples continue to grow in love and peace and may the sacred union of man and woman in marriage always reflect the union of Christ with his Church.

Prayer for Married Couples

Almighty and eternal God,
You blessed the union of married couples
so that they might reflect the union of Christ with his Church:
Look with kindness on them.
Renew their marriage covenant,
increase your love in them,
and strengthen their bond of peace
so that, with their children,
they may always rejoice in the gift of
your blessing.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Find additional prayers here.