Steve’s Story
I was divorced and remarried.
My story is typical. I married young and got divorced after only a few years of marriage.
I remarried a Catholic, raised and educated a family in the faith, attended Mass, and became active in the parish. I did it all; I just wasn’t a Catholic because despite going through the RCIA process, I just couldn’t take the final step of confirming my faith in the Church. Why? I couldn’t take the final step of obtaining an annulment, which was necessary because of my divorce and remarriage. I was at odds with something I deemed archaic, intrusive, and totally unnecessary to my faith in God and the Church.
I even tried once but the process was so involved, and 25 years after my divorce, the questions were just too painful dig up again.
My heart resisted the call, and even though I was getting tired of being an outsider, I stopped the process.
Eventually, God asked me to reconsider, and I’m glad I did. Through the help of my wife and a men’s group I was attending, I began to see many things in a different light. For one, I developed a much better understanding of the sacrament of marriage as a sacred relationship. It is much more than an “I do!” and a piece of paper.
It is covenant that exists among a couple, the church, and God that ideally should never be broken.
When a marriage does break down, however, the annulment process helps the Church and those involved reflect on what made the marriage imperfect. Although there are still some things about the annulment process I think could be modernized, I now understand its true purpose and its place in our faith. I began the process again, and the second time was the charm. After being confirmed, I could now go to Mass in a different way, take communion, and live the faith I had only been observing!
THE-TOP-TEN-LIST-OF-MYTHS-ABOUT-ANNULMENTS
A look at common misunderstandings when it comes to Annulments and the Catholic Church.
Additional information and resources to support your marriage from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
For additional information please contact Ms. Linda Thoman
(502) 585 3291 ext. 1145
