Celebrating World Marriage Day 2021

 

Welcome to the World Marriage Day (February 14, 2021) and National Marriage Week 2021 web pages, the one-stop place for parishes and for married couples to honor the gift of marriage in the Diocese of Trenton.

World Marriage Day, the second Sunday of February, and National Marriage Week USA (February 7 – 14) are observed annually in dioceses and parishes throughout our country as an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. 

Here in the Diocese of Trenton, our parishes commemorate World Marriage Day and National Marriage Week in a variety of ways, but most importantly by incorporating prayers and blessings for marriage into the Sunday liturgy and by hosting various marriage-building activities in the parish.

In addition to our full set of resources for parishes, we also offer married couples and families their own set of World Marriage Day activities and tools to renew and strengthen their marriage and family. 

As we continue to live with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Church is particularly aware of the sacrifice and hard work of married couples and families who strive to keep the peace of Christ in their hearts, and the priests and deacons who care for them.

Cana Rosary for Marriage

This year the Diocese of Trenton will host a special event for all married couples,The Cana Rosary for Marriage, a livestreamed recitation of the rosary and reflection for marriage each evening from 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Sunday, February 7 through Saturday, February 13, 2021. 

CLICK HERE to view the flyer for The Cana Rosary for Marriage.

World Marriage Day is an outgrowth of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, an apostolate aimed at helping couples make good marriages even better. World Marriage Day began in 1983 and is celebrated every second Sunday of February in dioceses across the country. In 1993, his Holiness, Pope John Paul II, imparted his Apostolic Blessings on World Marriage Day. This year it falls on February 14, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. The purpose of World Marriage Day is to highlight the beauty of marriage and to honor husbands and wives for their faithfulness and sacrifices.

World Marriage Day does not emphasize marriage to the detriment of other vocations, however. The mission of its founding organization Worldwide Marriage Encounter is “to proclaim the value of Marriage and Holy Orders in the Church and in the world.”

The Worldwide Marriage Encounter organization also sponsors World Priest Day on the fourth Sunday of October. “We believe that building stronger relationships between priests and their people can rebuild our Church! We are together on our faith journey. World Priest Day (WPD) is a celebration and affirmation of the men who commit their lives to the Lord and the Church via the Sacrament of Holy Orders. It is an opportunity for Catholic Parishioners to thank, affirm and share their love and support for our priests.”

National Marriage Week USA, launched in 2010, is part of an international event seeking to mobilize individuals, organizations, and businesses in a common purpose to strengthen marriage in communities and influence the culture. The Secretariat on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offers a full set of resources to bishops, priests, deacons, married couples, and lay men and women to help celebrate and live the great gift of married life.

Read this Great Article from Aleteia
on the importance of World Marriage Day for Catholic married couples and for our Church.