Serving Together in Ministry

Catholic marriage is multi-faceted - it is sacrament, covenant, partnership and a vocational call to serve others. While all Catholics are required to be an instrument of Christ's love for others, Catholic married couples actually make Christ's love present in the world through their permanent bond of love in sacramental marriage. Their marriage is an actual sign of Christ's love for his bride, the Church.

One of the best ways for married couples to live out their vocational call to service is through full and active participation in parish life. Couples who serve together in some form of parish ministry receive many blessings, including a deeper faith and a stronger marriage. Couples who are fully integrated into the life of the parish will be able to withstand the most difficult challenges in family life, find meaning in their suffering, adopt an attitude of gratitude, and experience the greatest joys in marriage that only God can give.

Here in the Diocese of Trenton we believe that all married couples should have an opportunity to share their unique gifts and talents in service to their community, and should be supported and sustained by the parish through difficult times. The parish is the community of faith that can offer the platform for married couples to come together in fellowship, accompany each other in joys and sorrows, and participate in marriage-strengthening activities. This is what parish marriage ministry is all about.

What is Parish Marriage Ministry?

Parish Marriage Ministry is a peer, like-to-like, intergenerational ministry of the laity that serves the full range of spiritual, emotional and social/relational needs of all married couples in the parish through every stage of marriage and family life. Intentional, comprehensive marriage ministry is integrated into the parish structure with connections to all other ministerial and formational functions of parish life, including outreach, service projects, adult faith formation, youth ministry, religious education, pastoral ministry, liturgical ministry and sacramental preparation.
 
Parish Marriage Ministry is founded on the process of evangelization – meeting people where they are and moving them forward in their faith journey, proclaiming the Gospel (bringing the good news of Jesus Christ into every human situation), inviting couples into discipleship and a personal encounter with the living Jesus through their service to others, and providing opportunities for apostleship as couples help to form new disciples in their own family and in the parish community.

Come Join Us...

We encourage all married couples to serve in a parish ministry together. This is the greatest gift you can give to your marriage. To serve in ministry or to start parish marriage ministry in your parish, talk to your pastor today!