Gulf Pine Catholic • July 11, 2025 13 In conversations I have had with individuals about marriage, I get a variety of responses. Some are, “I’ll try it out to see if it works for me”, or, “I hope this first one last a long time, but if not, I’ll try again”, or “I’ll give it a chance.” It appears that many go into the institution of marriage with an “escape plan.” But as a Deacon, I ask myself this question, “How well am I preparing them for this momentous event and what are my expectations in the preparation?” Am I giving them the beauty of the Sacrament so they can understand the gift of Matrimony or am I glossing over the Spiritual significance? In other words, am I as clergy, doing my part in a society where the Sacrament of Matrimony seems undervalued? In this article, I am doing something that I think is important for all members of our society to understand, and that is what, the importance and dignity of the Sacrament of Matrimony. These excerpts are from the Order of Celebrating Matrimony. 1. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish a lifelong partnership between themselves, derives its force and strength from creation, but for the Christian faithful it is also raised up to a higher dignity, since it is numbered among the Sacraments of the new covenant. 2. A marriage is established by the conjugal covenant, that is, the irrevocable consent of both spouses, by which they freely give themselves to each other and accept each other. Moreover, this singular union of a man and a woman requires, and the good of the children demands, the complete fidelity of the spouses and the indissoluble unity of the bond. 3. Furthermore, the institution of Marriage itself and conjugal love are, by their very nature, ordered to the procreation and formation of children and find in them, as it were, their ultimate crown. Children are thus truly the supreme gift of Marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. 4. The intimate community of life and love, by which spouses “are no longer two, but one flesh,” has been established by God the Creator, provided with its own proper laws, and endowed with that blessing which alone was not forfeited by punishment for original sin. This sacred bond, therefore, does not depend on human choice, but rather on the Author of Marriage, who ordained it to be endowed with its own goods and ends. 5. Indeed, Christ the Lord, making a new creation and making all things new, has willed that Marriage be restored to its primordial form and holiness in such a way that what God has joined together, no one may put asunder, and raised this indissoluble conjugal contract to the dignity of a Sacrament so that it might signify more clearly and represent more easily the model of his own nuptial covenant with the Church. The Sacrament of Matrimony is a gift. Abeautiful indicator of God’s love for us. But, as a faith-based community, we must hold each other accountable to make sure the beauty and the dignity of the sacrament is upheld and promoted. And those of us in Clergy must boldly and forcefully support this most important Gift of God so that we may turn the tide on a society that demeans and diminishes this most wonderful sacrament. Today, and every day, let’s put the love back in the Sacrament of Matrimony, Love of spouse, Love of children, Love or community and Love of the Church established for our eternal benefit. And most of all, Love of Christ, the author of this sacrament. God Bless you all! Deacon Justin Deacon Justin Mitchell is the Director of Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Biloxi. Marriage & Family Life Mitchell Dignity of the Sacrament of Matrimony Mobile’s New Archbishop From page 8 Being involved in the Church’s works of mercy, especially in those places along the peripheries, has been an important part of his service to the Church, which he hopes to continue in Mobile, he said. “The late Pope Francis really taught me about making sure that we’re mindful of those who are on the peripheries,” he said. “I feel like that’s always something that’s going to be important in my heart and ministry. The Church is so blessed to be involved in the works of compassion, and I think that’s where we truly live what Jesus has called us to do about living his works of mercy.” Archbishop-elect Rivituso also said he was surprised to move from the role of an auxiliary bishop to a metropolitan archbishop with oversight of an ecclesiastical province. The Province of Mobile includes the dioceses of Biloxi and Jackson, MS, and the Diocese of Birmingham, AL. “I’ve been very blessed that I’ve had wonderful archbishops who gave me good examples and were good mentors, and I think that will help me,” Archbishop-elect Rivituso said. “I did tellArchbishop Rozanski and Archbishop (Robert J.) Carlson, that I will have them in my contact list, so they haven’t heard the last from me.” He also said he is mindful of the next auxiliary bishop to be appointed for St. Louis, whenever that happens. “I want to make sure that he has my prayers, whoever that might be,” he said. The installation Mass is expected to be in about two months, although no date or location has been finalized. The Archdiocese of Mobile will held a news conference at 10 a.m. on July 1 at the Archdiocese of Mobile chancery. Archbishop-designate Rivituso celebrated the 12:10 p.m. Mass July 1 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Both the news conference and Mass will be livestreamed at YouTube.com/@CatholicArchdioceseofMobile and the Archdiocese of Mobile’s Facebook page. Archbishop-elect Rivituso biography Bishop Mark S. Rivituso was born in St. Louis on Sept. 20, 1961, the sixth of eight children to August (Gus) and Rosemary Rivituso. He was baptized in 1961 at St. Wenceslaus Parish in south St. Louis and attended St. Wenceslaus School, which later became Notre Dame Elementary School. He is a graduate of St. Mary’s High School. Bishop Rivituso attended Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary. He earned a master’s degree and a licentiate in canon and civil law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese at the St. Louis Cathedral (now Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis) by Archbishop John L. May in 1988. Pope Benedict XVI named him a monsignor in 2005. He was associate pastor of St. Ambrose in south St. Louis (1988-90), part-time associate pastor of Immaculate Conception in Dardenne Prairie and on the faculty of St. Dominic High School (1990-93), part-time associate pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland in south St. Louis and staff member of the archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal (1993-94). After returning from studies in Canada in the mid-1990s, he was appointed to the Metropolitan Tribunal staff (1993-94, 1996-2004) and named part-time associate pastor at St. Jerome in Bissell Hills (1996-2004). He also had assignments as act Pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, to the diaconate, and to the religious life, especially in the Diocese of Biloxi.
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