Marriage Week is an annual celebration that invites us to support, strengthen, and promote marriage and family life at the heart of society. Taking place from 7–14 February, it is a timely opportunity to pause, reflect, and give thanks for the gift of marriage and the vital role families play in our Church and our communities.
This year’s celebration opens a longer journey of reflection under the theme The Joy of Love: On Marriage and Family Life, leading us to a significant milestone in the life of the Church. On the Feast of St Joseph, 19 March 2026, we will mark the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia – “On Love in the Family.” From the beginning of National Marriage Week (7–14 February) through to this anniversary, individuals, couples, and families are invited to rediscover the beauty, challenge, and mission of marriage and family life in today’s world.
At the heart of the Catholic understanding is the conviction that marriage is a lifelong, faithful, and fruitful covenant between one man and one woman, rooted in God’s love and ordered towards the good of the spouses and the nurturing of family life. It is both a natural institution and a sacrament, a living sign of Christ’s faithful love for His Church, and a privileged place where love is learned, forgiven, and passed on.
To support this season of reflection, three key resources are being offered:
- The Joy of Love, launched in 2022 by the Bishops’ Conference Committee for Marriage and Family Life, explores the central themes of Amoris Laetitia through the lenses of Joy, Love, Mercy, Realities and Discernment, and Mission, helping families engage with Pope Francis’ vision in a practical and hopeful way.
- The National Marriage Week Novena, which draws on the Sunday Scripture readings during Marriage Week 2026, offering a daily prayer intention to accompany couples and families as they reflect together.
Marriage Week 2026 is more than a celebration, it is an invitation: to renew commitment, to deepen love, and to witness with joy to the enduring value of marriage and family life in the Church and in the world.
