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Hi, Travis —
Thank you for your question.
The first step is to go to your local
Catholic parish and talk to a priest
or the pastor. The fact you were
both previously married is an impediment,
but it is not insurmountable. The
Church would have to determine if
those previous marriages were valid
or not. It is possible that they
could be annulled.
In your case, since neither one
of you were Catholic, it is possible
(if not indeed likely) that your
understanding of the permanency and
sacramental nature of marriage was
not fully developed. That is one
of the grounds for annulment right
there but again, it's up to the Church
to determine this, not us.
Getting both your marital statuses
rectified is only one step. The other
part is entering a good RCIA program
which will prepare both of you to
enter the Church. The programs usually
run from September through May. You
meet once a week and are instructed
in the faith. Usually, candidates
are confirmed into the Church at
the Easter Vigil of that same year,
so the sessions go on after you've
entered the Church.
It all starts with you making an
appointment to talk to your local
parish priest. If you let us know
where you live, we might be able
to help you find a good parish, however,
any parish priest ought to know what
to do. You might want to visit a
couple of parishes first, find a
priest who effectively preaches the
Word of God, and approach him after
Mass. No doubt, he'll say make an
appointment, but if he's worth his
oats he'll be ecstatic when you tell
him the issues that are on your mind.
God Bless, and if you have any questions
about the faith as you continue your
journey, please feel free to ask
us.
Under His Mercy,
John DiMascio
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