P.O. Box 37
23080 Maddox Road
Bushwood, MD 20618
(301) 769-3100
"The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life." ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church 1661
Congratulations on your engagement!
Weddings at Sacred Heart Church are open to Sacred Heart parishioners. If you have yet to become a parishioner, you may register online through our website.
Parish Registration
If you would like to celebrate marriage at Sacred Heart Church, please contact the Parish Office at (301) 769-3100 or sacredheart.bushwood.md@adw.org. Please contact us at least six (6) months before your expected wedding day and before setting a date or making reservations (i.e. reception, honeymoon). The parish priest will meet with you to help you prepare for this Sacrament.
Couples should note that we ask for six month preparation time so that they can learn about and fully understand that, on their wedding day, they celebrate the sacrament to one another with the priest acting as an officiant of the Church. As a public sign and affirmation of God’s grace, the couple offers to the community this sign that their vows are not merely a private contract between two people, but instead, the beginning of a new family of love modeled after the Holy Trinity.
Sacred Heart Church has a parish hall that may be rented for a reception after the celebration of marriage. Please contact the Parish Office at (301) 769-3100 or sacredheart.bushwood.md@adw.org for details.
If sacred music is desired, it will be the responsibility of the family to arrange for music. Please contact the Parish Office for a list of prospective organists and cantors.
Music in the form of hymns, chants, and responses is present throughout the Liturgy. Organ music is typically performed during the Processional and Recessional. Hymns are typically sung at 2-3 places in the liturgy during the Offertory and Communion.
The celebration of marriage, whether celebrated within Mass or alone, is a divine sacrament of the Church. Music chosen must be appropriate in dignity to the serious yet joyful covenant proclaimed. Secular music, even popular Christian, patriotic, or personal favorites of the couple, is better suited for the reception.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' For Your Marriage website has information on planning a Catholic wedding and more about preparing for and living the Sacrament of Marriage.
For Your Marriage