Sponsor Couple Ministry

St. Mary encourages couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony to ask a married couple to accompany them through their Marriage Catechumenate. The role of sponsor couples is to provide couples with a positive witness of the lived experience of marriage while accompanying them through activities of their Marriage Catechumenate and connecting them to the Parish community, toward a deeper relationship with God, the Church, and one another.

Through a series of six meetings, one of which is a light dinner with Parish clergy, sponsor couples share their own experiences of their marital vocation and facilitate conversations with the couple preparing for marriage on topics related to marriage and the virtues necessary for living God’s plan for marriage. St. Mary will provide necessary materials to facilitate the meeting discussions. The relationship formed between couples should not end at the last session or on the couple’s wedding day: as both couples are willing, the sponsor couple is encouraged to stay connected after the wedding in order to continue accompanying the couple as they begin married life together.

Ideally, each couple selects and asks their own sponsor couple from the Parish community.

Spotlight Sponsor Couples

In the event a couple needs assistance selecting a sponsor couple, the Parish provides couples with a portfolio of spotlight sponsor couples from which they may choose their sponsor couple.

Spotlight sponsor couples have a brief biography and photo which is presented to couples preparing for marriage. Spotlight sponsor couples should be in a valid catholic marriage for at least five (5) years. It is not necessary for both spouses of the spotlight sponsor couples to be Catholic, as many of our couples preparing for marriage are of mixed religions. It is most important that spotlight sponsor couples are willing to share their personal experiences in marriage and cultivate a relationship with the couple preparing for marriage.

If you are interested in being spotlight sponsor couple, please complete and email the form below so your biography can be included in the sponsor couple portfolio.

Thank you for sharing your time, treasures, and talents with couples in our community preparing for marriage!

Your marriage makes a difference in building and sustaining the church.

God bless

Spotlight Sponsor Couple Profile Questionnaire PDF

 Role of a Sponsor Couple PDF

“The purpose of marriage is to help married people sanctify themselves and others. For this reason they receive a special grace in the sacrament which Jesus Christ instituted. Those who are called to the married state will, with the grace of God, find within their state everything they need to be holy, to identify themselves each day more with Jesus Christ, and to lead those with whom they live to God” (St. Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations, 91).