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14 couples welcomed into full communion with Church
By J.D. Long-García, The Catholic Sun
November 15, 2007
MESA — When Fr. Charlie Goraieb became pastor of Queen of Peace Parish, he noticed many couples didn’t receive Communion during the Spanish-language Masses.
He knew why.
“Almost always it pertains to irregular marriages,” said Fr. Goraieb, who worked with immigrant couples at St. Henry Parish in Buckeye before coming to Queen of Peace last year.
Couples don’t get married in the Church because they fear commitment, believe cohabitation is OK or are concerned with their status as an immigrant, Fr. Goraieb said.
He also noted many immigrants don’t want to get married without their family members who live in a different country, he said. Some couples also don’t have the money to celebrate their marriage as they believe they should.
That’s where the parish comes in. Queen of Peace developed a marriage preparation program and planned one ceremony for a number of couples to help keep costs down.
“I’m not sure that every culture would be willing to share that day with others,” Fr. Goraieb said. “Latinos are happy to share that day. There’s a tremendous generosity to that.”
Fourteen couples came into full communion with the Church after receiving the sacrament of marriage Nov. 3. Fr. Goraieb and the parish provided a hall for the reception, the mariachi band and a photographer.
“They really wanted to receive Communion,” Agustina Espino, coordinator of Hispanic ministry at the parish, said of the couples. “They were not able to receive Communion for years because they were living together outside of marriage.”
Hermila and David Rosales, one of the 14 couples who got married earlier this month, have three children and had been living together for more than 10 years.
“We were a little separated from the Church,” Hermila said. “We were living in sin, but now, thanks to God’s grace we’re OK again.”
The couple is looking forward to becoming more involved in the life of the Church.
“It was a dream we always had,” David said. “It was our children who motivated us. They kept telling us they wanted to see us married.”
The couple kept coming up with excuses, but their children “helped us set those aside,” David said.
“There are many couples who live together without being married in the Church,” he said. “Couples just don’t know what they’re missing out on.”
Victor Saldaña-Ramos, director of faith formation at St. Joan of Arc Parish, said the problem of cohabitating immigrant couples isn’t going away.
In the majority of cases, Saldaña estimated, couples cohabitate because their families can’t be present.
“They see marriage linked to the family,” he said.
Saldaña also noted that marriage could present problems for immigrants with pending visa applications. Marriage would disqualify sons and daughters of legal residents requesting legal status through their parents.
Marriage does not affect an application for a worker visa application.
The Church must report each of the marriages it performs to the government because they are legally binding under civil law.
“The Church doesn’t want to separate the sacrament from the social reality,” said Mike Phelan, director the Office of Marriage and Respect Life.
“We can’t do private marriages, so they have to decide what’s most important,” he said. “It’s really tough.”
Regardless of their immigration status, any adult in Arizona can obtain a marriage license from the county with a picture ID.
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