About 250 people, including families, friends, and members of Brisbane’s Filipino Australian community, gathered at Sacred Heart Church, Sandgate, on Sunday to celebrate the union of six couples in Holy Matrimony. Source: The Catholic Leader.
It was the first ceremony of its kind to be held in Brisbane.
Kasalang Bayan is a Catholic wedding celebration in which multiple couples receive the Sacrament of Matrimony together in a single ceremony.
It is designed for couples who desire a Church wedding but face financial, practical or personal barriers that make an individual celebration difficult to pursue.
Camillian Father Rodel Enriquez said many Catholics did not realise that when they married only civilly without the necessary Church permission or dispensation, the marriage was not recognised as a valid sacramental marriage in the Church.
“Consequently, they are unable to receive Holy Communion and certain other sacraments until their marital situation is regularised,” he said.
Fr Enriquez thanked the Filipino Catholic Community Brisbane North for making the event possible and for helping families grow closer to God and His Church.
The couples were grateful to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony without the financial burden that had previously delayed or prevented a Church wedding.
Some have even expressed their intent to join the service team for the next Kasalang Bayan.
Families, friends and the wider community described the event as a great success, saying it was “inspiring, well organised and spiritually uplifting”.
Proponent of the Kasalang Bayan in Brisbane and Catholic Filipino Australians Brisbane co-ordinator Emmanuel San Agustin said everything from the processional to the music, the décor and the shared meal, reflected collaboration, faith, and the couples’ long-awaited desire to receive God’s blessing.
“Because of the strong interest, the pastoral significance, and the positive reception, there is a growing desire to hold another Kasalang Bayan,” he said.
“While not yet officially declared an annual event, the organisers from CFAB are discerning the possibility of making it a regular pastoral ministry, especially since many couples have already expressed interest in joining the next one.”
FULLS TORY
Brisbane couples prove a Catholic marriage doesn’t have to break the bank (By Kymberlee Gomes, The Catholic Leader)
