Santuário San Rafael Ascension Catholic church

An independent ministry in the Catholic Tradition

Prayers to St. Raphael the Archangel are very effective for help in finding a life partner.

Marriages

             Perhaps you and your family believe in Catholic tradition and worship, but you have been turned away from your local parish because of a past marriage or some technical issue.  Perhaps you are Lesbian or gay, and want to get married in California but the local priest isn’t able to do the wedding Mass you have always dreamed of.  Maybe your child’s godparents live out of town, and they can’t get to the baptismal classes, and you are turned away.  Don’t take NO for an answer!  We will marry you with a validly ordained priest in the apostolic succession, together with the Holy Mass done in Spanish or English according to your ethnic and family traditions.  Baptisms and quincieñeras are also available.

· Have your wedding witnessed by a Church of Antioch priest validly ordained in the Catholic Tradition.

· Your place or ours, or in a special park, beach or mountain space. 

· Our small home chapel accommodates 5-7 people for a small intimate wedding mass. 

· Plan a meaningful ceremony and Mass with a complete Nuptial Blessing.

· Our service is often a good compromise when there is religious tension or pressure in the family.

· We are happy to work with ministers and clergy of other denominations or religions including Jewish, Muslim, Native American, Buddhist, Wicca or any other esoteric or traditional belief system

Marriage at San Rafael’s

             We know you love your Church, and we want you to know that we do too.  And with all due respect for those who make the legal decisions about who can marry in the Roman Communion and who cannot, we also know that the love of Jesus Christ is all-encompassing, and all-inclusive.  For some of you, the right answer will be to wait for Rome to change, and come to understand  the love that heals all wounds.   For others, the right choice will be to seek out a priest in an independent Catholic church such as ours, which is not bound by the laws of the traditional church, but seeks to bring the tradition, in all its beauty and richness, into a modern context of love, acceptance, and affirmation. 

 

             If our sacraments are right for you, we invite you to participate with us in seeking the deep blessing and grace of God’s sacraments as you begin your marital union. 

 

A note on Same-Sex Marriage

We are overjoyed and proud that the courts of the State of California allowed same-sex marriage in its civil law, and we were happy to celebrate some of these sacraments.  We were saddened by the efforts of other Apostolic communions to deny those rights to gay and lesbian people through the initiative process.  However, one thing we know is that God is affirming of LOVE, and that this justice cannot be forever denied. 

 

             The our historical communion, Church of Antioch—Malabar Rite, was one of the first independent Catholic jurisdictions to both ordain women and to celebrate same-sex unions in a sacramental way.  In continuing that tradition, we are pleased to witness same sex marriages with a full Nuptial Mass, and all the rituals of the Latino tradition, knowing that the presence of same-sex couples strengthens families and the institution of marriage.  Think of all the heterosexual marriages that have failed, and still much of society wants to deny the institution to lesbians and gays.  Yet, as believers, we know that the act of love in a sacramental marriage becomes a channel for Christ’s love into the world.  We celebrate same-sex marriage because we believe that the world needs the love, and that straight society needs the love and energy of same-sex couples and families too, if it is going to be strengthened.  In this way, we believe that the presence of same-sex couples within the institution of marriage brings balance and healing to society, and channels a special grace and blessing to heterosexual couples, just as their marriages can also become blessings for all. 

Santuário San Rafael

Ascension Catholic Church

An independent ministry

in the Catholic Tradition

323-264-6217

 

Rev. Robert J. Foss, Pastor

E-mail: pastor@santuariosanrafael.com

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