From civil union to sacred bond: California diocese celebrates marriage convalidations
The Diocese of San Jose, California, launched the Radiate Love initiative to help civilly married couples convalidate their marriages and participate fully in the Church’s sacramental life. Interest exceeded the original pilot plan: 102 couples enrolled, with communal convalidation Masses held on July 25, Aug. 1, and Sept. 26, as well as private ceremonies. The initiative grew from pastoral concern for couples attending Mass with their children but not receiving Communion because of their marital status. Couples prepared through the Witness to Love program, which pairs them with experienced married mentors.
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The Diocese of San Jose’s “Radiate Love” initiative has helped civilly married couples prepare for and receive the Catholic sacrament of matrimony, after far more couples sought to participate than organizers initially expected. The program combined marriage preparation with mentor support and communal celebrations, and was designed to help couples who had felt unable to receive the Eucharist because of their marital status. 1
The initiative developed from conversations among diocesan staff and a task force about couples who attended Mass with their children but did not receive Communion. Jose Soto, the diocese’s director for Adult Spirituality and Family Life, said organizers hoped to accompany couples who wanted to bring Christ more fully into their marriages. 1
Organizers initially anticipated a pilot group of 12 to 15 couples, but 102 signed up. The diocese held communal Masses on July 25, Aug. 1 and Sept. 26, alongside private ceremonies for couples who requested them. 1
The diocese used the Witness to Love program, pairing participating couples with experienced married mentors for preparation and pastoral support. Among the volunteer mentors were Veronica and Richard Wildanger, whose own civil marriage had been convalidated 22 years earlier. 1
The initiative built on “Radiate Love,” a California bishops’ campaign promoting marriage and family in 2024–25. Its task force organized events and helped guide couples through the process. 1
Mireya Aristizábal and Juan David Díaz, who were civilly married after moving from Colombia, said they wanted their marriage to be lived before God. Aristizábal said preparation drew them closer to God and helped them put him first in their lives; Díaz said he joined the process in support of his wife’s faith and because he also valued the Catholic Church. 1
Organizers and mentors presented sacramental marriage as a covenant involving God, rather than only a civil or social agreement. For many participants, receiving the Eucharist after years away from Communion was a particularly moving part of the experience; some had been in civil marriages for more than 30 years. 1
Aristizábal also described the communal ceremony as a sign of the Church’s unity and its continued commitment to marriage. Participants’ shared celebration, she said, showed that the Church “wants to keep fighting for it.” 1
Some couples were unable to take part because of missing documents, limited time or anxiety, Soto said. He encouraged those interested in convalidation to approach the Church when they felt ready, saying the diocese was prepared to accompany them through the process. 1*
Sacramental marriage grounds participation in the Church’s communal life
Yes—if by “grounds” you mean that sacramental marriage is not merely a private bond but a real vocation within the Church. In marriage, baptized spouses make Christ’s faithful love for the Church visible in their shared life; their family can become a “domestic Church,” where faith is received, lived, and passed on.
This ecclesial vocation is nourished by the Eucharist. The family’s participation in Christ’s self-gift is described as the foundation and animating force of its communion and mission, joining it to the wider unity of the Church. Thus spouses participate in communal life not only by attending worship, but through mutual holiness, fidelity, service, and the Christian formation of their children.
The phrase should not, however, imply that marriage is a prerequisite for belonging to or participating in the Church: baptism is the foundation of Christian membership, while marriage gives spouses a distinctive way of serving and building up the Church.