Together for Life

Together for Life has been the most trusted source for wedding planning in the Catholic Church for more than forty-five years. This new edition of Together for Life contains the new texts of the most recent translation of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony. It includes all the tools engaged couples use when meeting with a priest, deacon, or lay parish minister to plan their weddings and prepare for living the sacrament of Marriage.

Written by Msgr. Joseph Champlin (1930-2008) and first published in 1970, more than ten-million copies of Together for Life have been sold. The previous edition was updated in 2011 with the help of Rev. Peter A. Jarret, C.S.C., to include the revised liturgical texts of the third edition of the Roman Missal. The 2016 edition contains all the necessary texts from The Order of Celebrating Matrimony.

Each reading choice is accompanied by a reflection written by lay married theologians or pastoral leaders who are committed to the sacramental life of the Church. Contributors include Ann M. Garrido, Msgr. Michael Heintz, Diana Macalintal, H. Richard McCord, Geoffrey D. Miller, Tim Muldoon, Julie Hanlon Rubio, and Deacon William F. Urbine.

Together for Life includes all of the information, prayers, blessings, and readings needed to plan a wedding that will be held within Mass, without Mass, or between a Catholic and a catechumen or non-Christian. FAQs address questions couples may have about traditions such as readings, music, witnesses, and unusual circumstances.

Together for Life includes:

• Approved texts for The Order of Celebrating Matrimony and prayers from the Roman Missal
• “The Word Brought Home,” scripture commentaries by Catholic leaders
• Catechetical commentary by Rev. Peter Jarret, C.S.C., to help couples deepen their understanding of the Church's liturgy
• Hints for incorporating ethnic and cultural devotions and practices into a Catholic wedding
• Sample intercessions
• How-to guides to help parish ministers
• FAQ section about the celebration of Catholic weddings

The material in Together for Life is supported by TogetherforLifeOnline.com. The site includes an online selection form, Catholic wedding planning resources, and articles providing enrichment to both married and engaged couples.

Msgr. Joseph M. Champlin (1930–2008) was a prolific writer on a variety of pastoral care and spirituality concerns. He served at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Warners, New York. He previously was rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Syracuse, his hometown. Champlin is the author of the bestselling wedding Mass-planning resource Together for Life, as well as Slow Down and Preparing for Eternity.

Rev. Peter A. Jarret, C.S.C., is an assistant provincial of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. He previously served as superior and rector of Moreau Seminary at the University of Notre Dame. Ordained a Holy Cross priest in April of 1992, he also served in parish ministry at Christ the King Parish in South Bend, Indiana, and as pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Granger, Indiana. Jarret also was a rector in an undergraduate residence hall and counselor to ND President Rev. Edward Malloy, C.S.C. Jarret coauthored Together for Life and contributed to The Cross, Our Only Hope, The Gift of the Cross, The Gift of Hope, and The Notre Dame Book of Prayer.