BOSTON -- Fifteen married couples fully entered the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony by having their marriages convalidated in a ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Feb. 8, the second day of World Marriage Week and the vigil of World Marriage Sunday.

Convalidation is a ceremony for couples, at least one of whom is Catholic, who married outside of the Catholic Church. When a couple's marriage is convalidated, their union is officially recognized by the church. Catholics whose marriage is not recognized by the church cannot receive Holy Communion or be godparents.

"I think in the times that we're living, people are drawing closer to God and realizing how important it is to invite him into marriage," Archdiocese of Boston Family Life Consultant Emily Elliott told The Pilot.

Bishop Mark O'Connell presided over the ceremony, continuing the tradition he started in the archdiocese six years ago. He led the couples in prayer, preached a homily about the Sacrament of Marriage, blessed their wedding rings, and sprinkled them with holy water. The convalidation ceremony was first celebrated in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross last year, when nine couples convalidated their marriages.

"Every year, it seems to grow, and we're very excited about that," Elliott said.

There is no such thing as a "typical" couple that convalidates their marriage, Elliott explained. One couple at the cathedral on Feb. 8 was married for over 20 years, while others were married just a few months ago. Katrina and Brian Jennings got married in a civil ceremony on Christmas Day 2024. They wanted to be married in the church, but had to marry civilly on Christmas because it was the one day that Katrina's daughter, Maiya, who is in the Air Force, could be present for the ceremony.

"It was bringing our families into the church, our marriage into the church," Katrina told The Pilot about convalidation. "My faith is very important to me."

Katrina and Brian met through work. He's a plumber and she's an office manager for the plumbing company. Katrina said that she was attracted to Brian's sense of humor.

"We started off as very good friends, and we just fell in love," Brian told The Pilot.

Their marriage was convalidated by Father Vincent Daily, a close friend of Katrina's family who assisted Bishop O'Connell during the ceremony. Katrina has known Father Daily since she was a student at Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton. Brian said that he has been a part of his wife's life "forever."

Jason and Amy Mowbray, who were married in a civil ceremony in October 2024, also had their union convalidated.

"We wanted to complete the sacrament," Jason told The Pilot. "We hope that our family will be raised going to church, including the sacraments as well."

The couple met through a dating app.

"Within a couple of months I was like 'Wow, this is the one,'" Jason said.

"I think we shared many of the same values, and family was one of the biggest ones for us," Amy told The Pilot.

Registration for next year's celebration of convalidation ceremony will open in the summer.