The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony can take place at St. Peter's on most days of the week outside of Sunday.  On Saturdays no wedding may start later than 1 pm.
 
 Receiving the sacrament can involve a full chapel or be as intimate as the couple, the priest, and two witnesses.

Whether you have never married before or if you are a Catholic who married outside the Catholic Church, you owe it to Christ and yourself to get married in the Church, to exchange your vows in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and to receive the Nuptial Blessing.  
 
Please call 845-452-8580 ext. 3 to set up a meeting with the Pastor about the steps toward the altar to exchange your sacred vows at Saint Peter's Parish's Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel.

Matrimony is a state of life which unites a man and woman in the lifelong covenant of love as intended by God the Creator in the beginning.
A Catholic man and woman cannot be united in the covenant of marriage in any other way than by receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony, because Christ raised marriage to the dignity of a Sacrament.  The bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power.   
The effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are to sanctify the love of husband and wife; to give them grace to bear with each other's weaknesses; and to enable them to bring up their children in the fear and love of God.
The Church alone has the right to make laws concerning the Sacrament of Marriage, though the State also has the right to make laws concerning the civil effects of the marriage contract.  Thus, to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony it is necessary to comply with the laws of the Church; to receive a Civil Marriage it is necessary to comply with the laws of the State.  Some States accept marriages in the Church as Civil Marriages, as long as a Civil license has been purchased from the State.  However, the Church does not accept Civil Marriage as valid unless the couple complies with the sacramental requirements of the Church.
To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony worthily, it is also necessary to be in the state of sanctifying grace.
The Church offers cautions concerning the marriage of Catholics with non-Catholics, because such marriages can lead to religious indifference, loss of faith, and to the neglect of the religious education of the children.  However, for a good reason, the Church does allow the marriage of Catholics with persons who have a different religion or even no religion at all. 
Christians who think they have a vocation to Matrimony should prepare for a holy and happy marriage by receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist frequently, by begging God to grant them a pure intention and to direct their choice of a future spouse, and by seeking the advice of more mature Catholic couples and the blessing of their parish priest.

• A Catholic who is civily married without the participation of a parish priest or deacon or without a dispensation of the bishop is not married in the eyes of God and, thus, greatly urged to speak with one of the parish priests as soon as possible about having the union blessed so that they can return to practice of the Faith by the reception of the other sacraments.
  
  Married civilly? Consider Convalidation!For various reasons, you may have chosen to marry civilly instead of getting married in the Catholic Church. Whether there were complicating factors, or you simply did not understand the value of marrying in the Church, or you did not have a connection with Christ and the Church, we eagerly invite you to bring your marriage into the Catholic Church! The process to do this is called convalidation.  It is usually not difficult.
  Your life in your state sanctioned marriage contract may seem to be going just fine, but you are missing out on the securty, beauty, and blessings of a Catholic marriage.  Together, you can enter into a deeper and more grace-filled relationship with each other and with God by having your marriage validated by the Church. The benefits of convalidation include: a return to the state of sanctifying grace, peace of heart, a covenantal bond rather than a contractal agreement, and sacramental graces of Holy Matrimony.  
  If either of you were baptized in (or received into) the Catholic Church, and you were married in a civil ceremony or under another religious denomination, your marriage, unless you received a dispensation, needs to be validated by the Church.  
  Convalidation is a relatively simple process if neither spouse was married before. If one of the spouses had any kind of prior marriage, and the prior spouse is still living, that marriage must have received a declaration of nullity (commonly called an annulment) from a Catholic tribunal before the convalidation of the present marriage can take place. In either case, the first step is to contact your parish (or, if you are not currently enrolled at a parish, then the one where you or your spouse currently reside) and make an appointment to thoroughly discuss your situation with the pastor or his delegate. The priest or deacon assisting you will advise you about any documents needed.Convalidation is not simply a blessing of an existing union, but the true exchange of consent of the spouses in free, total, faithful, and life-giving love. 
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  Contact the rectory to begin preparation and formation.