[hopeful]

I am engaged to a man who is Catholic and has never been married. I am divorced. I converted to Catholicism about 11 years ago. Before I converted, I married a Mormon man in a congregational church. Do I need a Catholic annulment?

[Frieda Arpoika]

Yes, you do need an annulment. When you married the Mormon person, was that his first marriage? If he was married to someone else before you married him, that may allow for a different process that is less involved. If it was his and your first marriage, then will need to apply for an annulment and the sooner you go pick up the application form at your local parish the better. Since neither one of you were Catholic at the time you married, a non-Catholic marriage is considered valid by the Church (since neither one of you were bound by Catholic canon law to marry in a Catholic church).

[startingover]

To Frieda's excellent post, we would add that although an annulment may seem daunting, it can be immensely helpful in learning what went wrong in your first marriage. This can be valuable information in preparing you for your next relationship and helping you sort out any problems you may encounter in your next marriage. If you think of it as a resource, it can be of great help in your future and in your faith in a God who loves you. The Catholic Church supports programs such as Cana and Engagement Encounter that are wonderful resources in marriage preparation. God bless you.