Dear Engaged Couple,
Welcome to Holy Trinity Catholic Church! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Please know that Holy Trinity is your spiritual family, you are home here.
We rejoice with you in your engagement! Congratulations on your decision to consecrate your love before Our Lord and His Church in the sacrament of matrimony
St John Paul II referred to marriage in the following manner:
“Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter – appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values”.
The Wedding Guidelines Booklet will be emailed to you once you’ve started the marriage preparation process. When you review it, any of our clergy or staff member will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to working with you in preparation for your marriage.
For couples who are civilly married to each other and who are seeking to have their marriage blessed in the Church, Holy Trinity is pleased to provide our Adoration Chapel in which a small Convalidation Ceremony can take place. Please contact the parish office to start the Convalidation process with one of our clergy members
Who may be Married at Holy Trinity…
In accord with the policy of the Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, couples must contact the parish and begin marriage preparation at least six months prior to the wedding. Three months of parish registration is required. Living together before marriage is sinful and harmful to future marriage. Couples who are living together will be asked to live separately during the preparation time. Please contact our administrative assistant, Paulina Albizures at ext. 121 or adminasst@holytrintyparish.net to start the marriage preparation process. Guidelines will be provided when the Marriage Preparation is scheduled.
Parishioners: any Catholic not otherwise impeded by Divine law or Church law, who lives within the territorial boundaries of Holy Trinity is a parishioner and may be married at Holy Trinity. It is not necessary that both the bride and the groom be parishioners, but at least one of them must be. A parishioner who does not actually live within the parish boundaries, but who is a registered parishioner still needs the permission of the pastor of the parish in which he/she actually resides. That pastor’s written permission needs to be submitted prior to any arrangements being made.
Children of parishioners: any Catholic, whose parents are actively participating members of Holy Trinity, may be married here if the pastor of the parish in which they reside will give his written permission prior to any wedding arrangements being made.
To begin your marriage preparation, please contact Paulina Albizures at the Parish Office as soon as you are engaged and no later than six months prior to your desired wedding date. Please keep in mind, however, that we cannot confirm your desired wedding date until you have met with the priest and he has confirmed that you are free to marry.
~ Holy Trinity clergy and staff
For more information, please contact Paulina Albizures at 703-753-6700 x 121 or via email by filling out this form: