We are in the midst of National Marriage Week, an annual event that has been in practice for 30 years, always centered around Valentine’s Day, where love is in the air and couples actually do try to take the time to get a babysitter for a quick date night. 

Founded in the United Kingdom by Richard Kane, his motto was: “If you’re fortunate enough to be in a marriage, you should look after it.” 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has always played a large role in promoting the week, and this year, couples are encouraged to bask in the Real Presence together to pray for all engaged and married couples. 

Julia Dezelski, associate director for marriage and family life at the USCCB underscored the idea, saying, “What better way to mark your marriage than by visiting our Eucharistic Lord.”

Pope Benedict XVI wrote explicitly about the Eucharistic connection to the sacrament of marriage in Sacramentum Caritatis, saying: 

“The Eucharist inexhaustibly strengthens the indissoluble unity and love of every Christian marriage. By the power of the sacrament, the marriage bond is intrinsically linked to the eucharistic unity of Christ the Bridegroom and his Bride, the Church (cf. Eph 5:31-32).”

The late Pope said that the “mutual consent” that a couple exchanges in Christ also has a “Eucharistic dimension,” as he expounded: 

“Indeed, in the theology of Saint Paul, conjugal love is a sacramental sign of Christ’s love for his Church, a love culminating in the Cross, the expression of his ‘marriage’ with humanity and at the same time the origin and heart of the Eucharist. For this reason the Church manifests her particular spiritual closeness to all those who have built their family on the sacrament of Matrimony.”

This is why parishes are “offering a special Eucharistic Holy Hour for engaged and married couples. With this Valentine’s Day falling on a Saturday, it is hoped that parishes will offer this as an opportunity for couples to spend time with our Eucharistic Lord before heading out for dinner,” Dezelski told the Register. 

Marking the joys of marriage, many parishes “generally offer a special blessing to couples celebrating milestone anniversaries, such as five, 10, 25, and 50 years, or a celebratory Mass for these anniversary years,” Dezelski explained. “The Mass is usually followed by a dinner and dancing for couples.”

Other opportunities, she added, include “a couple date night with a featured speaker and dinner. Bonus if the parish offers babysitting!”

Another older tradition that has gained momentum in recent years are betrothal ceremonies, where newly engaged couples receive a blessing from a priest as they begin the journey to the altar to be married, a practice that Dezelski described as “beautiful.” She said some parishes are even integrating this as a necessary step in marriage preparation. 

“Families should also join in the celebration of their loved ones’ anniversary. The longevity of a marriage is a blessing and sign of hope for the whole Church and all of society,” Dezelski said. 

Families can also celebrate the happy couple in so many creative ways like sending them on another celebratory honeymoon, offering them a spiritual bouquet of prayers and Masses, or obtaining a papal blessing parchment. 

More and more studies point to the real fuits of marriage, including a recent Gallup poll that pointed to how couples within the sacred bond are more likely to thrive. Recent studies also point to the benefits for children to have both a father and mother in a stable home that is build on the sacrament of marriage. 

A new entree of Marriage Week: several expert-led online broadcasts that couples can join in, all sponsored by the the San Antonio Marriage Initiative (SAMI). 

This year’s theme is “Together With Purpose,” marking how couples can serve one another and their families through a shared, self-giving marriage.

Speaking to the Register, Dezelski noted she herself took part in a panel. “Even making time as a couple to sit down and take part in the conversations can be a fun way to spend some time together this week,” she said.

So as you’re finishing up your last-minute Valentine’s plans this year, don’t forget to check with your local parish to see if adoration is available to visit together pre- or post- dinner date. And try to tune in tonight on a special online broadcast featuring Ryan and Mary-Rose Verret, Mike DiCosola and Montell and Kristin Jordan on the topic of “Living for Something Greater.”

For more information, please visit MarriageWeek.org.