Divorced Catholics

Participate in the sacramental life of the Church

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Christ calls all of us into a relationship with Him.
Annulment Not Required.

Divorce and the Sacraments

People who have gone through the painful experience of divorce without a church annulment can take part in the sacramental life of the Church. This includes Communion and remarriage. We do not earn the sacrament of Communion. We believe Communion is a gift given freely. Christ calls all of us into a relationship with Him. “All of us” includes the divorced, the remarried, those discovering or affirming nontraditional gender identities, and people that no longer feel comfortable with the Roman Catholic Church on certain social issues.

Thinking About Remarriage?

A divorced person may remarry with the blessing of the Church without being required to seek a church annulment. Saint Matthew Church is an ecumenical Catholic faith community independent of the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church. We enjoy more flexible marriage canons and less restrictive wedding guidelines than most Roman Catholic parishes. Saint Matthew offers divorced people a ceremony that follows the catholic faith traditions. For more information:

Visit our Weddings page

All the priests and deacons that take part in this ministry are validly ordained Catholic clergy.

Testimonials

My wife and I are both cradle Catholics and had been previously married in the Roman Catholic church. We were both in 20+ year marriages and each had 3 children from our prior marriages. Annulment was not an option for either of us, but we wanted to be able to practice our Catholic faith with a clear conscience and be married in a Catholic ceremony. We had just about given up when we were led to Saint Matthew’s Ecumenical Catholic Church. It only took one Mass for us to recognize our new home and spiritual abode.

We were married by Bishop Peter in an outdoor wedding ceremony and are able to receive valid sacraments and communion, and continue our devotion to our Blessed Mother, while celebrating the Catholic liturgy. I have gone on to become an ordained Deacon and my wife is very active in the church as well.

God Bless Saint Matthew’s.

Tony Russo, April 2020


“A coworker told me about St. Matthew after listening to my struggle to find a church where I, born and raised Catholic, and my husband, a divorced protestant, could make a home. Annulment was never an option. My husband and I raised his two daughters from his previous marriage; We had two more daughters and raised a nephew we love as our own child. That was four baptisms, two first Eucharist celebrations, 5 confirmations, and 30 years of attending St. Matthew. I wanted a place to practice my faith and the Catholic tradition I craved. I got that and a lot more.”

Tonya Adams, April 2020


“22 years ago we were two divorced Catholics searching for a Catholic priest who would marry us. We not only found a very special Catholic priest, but we also found a wonderful welcoming church called Saint Matthew’s.”

Carol & Jack, February 2020


Used on Divorced Catholic page

“Saint Matthew is a truly ecumenical community following catholic traditions and honoring the needs of all individuals. I am a divorced/remarried catholic who found a spiritual home here.”

Robert Morano,  June 2019


“My family and I have known Bishop Peter since the day he began St. Matthews some 33+ yrs ago. It all came together when he married my younger sister, Penny and her husband Joe. My parents loved Bishop Peter as did all of our family and it was the beginning days of going to church again. Bishop Peter married my husband and I twenty-one years ago.”

Paty Bernhardt Plenert,  July 2018


 

 

Upcoming Events

Sun20Oct(Oct 20)9:00 amSee's Candies Fundraiser | Recaudación de fondos de See's Chocolates(October 20) 9:00 am

Fri06Dec6:00 pmSacred Heart of Jesus Novena MassEvery first Friday of the month at 6:00 pm PT6:00 pm

Sun08DecAll DaySunday Masses In Person Indoors and Live Via VideoEvery Sunday at the 9:30 am and 12:30 pm Masses (or at 10:30 am when we have the Unity Mass)(All Day: Sunday)

Tue10Dec6:30 pmParish Council Meeting2nd Tue. of each month6:30 pm

Wed11Dec6:00 pmBible Study for 2023 | And God Said What? Surveying the Entire BibleWednesdays until 12/20/23 at the "House of Ruth and Junia" (and Zoom)6:00 pm

Fri20Dec6:30 pmDivine Mercy Chaplet6:30 pm

Thu02Jan12:00 am2024 "Your Lucky Time" Raffle12:00 am

Sun05Jan8:30 amPriests Available to Hear Confessions8:30 am

Tue07Jan7:00 pmHealing Service7:00 pm

Sunday Services:
9:30 a.m. - English Mass
12:00 p.m. - Spanish Mass
In Person (All Services) + Online via Facebook Live (English Mass only)
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