Dearly Beloved Brother and Sister,

Congratulations on your engagement! What hope you must have for each other and for the family that God may grant you!

This has to be a most joyful time. It is also a very critical time for you and your families. You must be most vigilant because the external demands placed on you by others and the very culture in which we live have a way of distracting you from the real meaning of the marriage you are about to enter.

Those pressures come in forms such as: Who will be in the wedding party? Who will be the florist? The photographer? Where will the reception be? Please do not overly focus on the details preparing for a wedding day. I dare to suggest as your guide: simple elegance should define your wedding day.

Be assured that I pray daily for you and all those joining you as you prepare for your life together as husband and wife. I pray that God will grant you the joy of being parents. Children are the living personification of your mutual love!

It is my urgent desire that you receive excellent preparation for your marriage; that you pray daily as a couple, not just individually in each other's presence. Marriage is a Sacrament, a sacred calling in which you and your spouse will dedicate your whole selves to one another in a loving life long commitment.

Be proactive in obtaining the best marriage preparation possible. In doing so you will enter Marriage with an understanding of the dignity and spiritual dimension of your God-given vocation. Open your minds and hearts to prepare well. Your spiritual formation to be husband and wife will sustain through the rough moments of your personal and marital relationships. Please do not underestimate the need for and power of your prayer with and for each other! You have chosen each other, but God has called you to Marriage!

I entrust you, husband and wife to-be, to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family!

Prayerfully and faithfully yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Gerald A. Gettelfinger
Bishop of Evansville