Marriage
Marriage is viewed by our Catholic Church as more than just a human event. The Catholic Church believes that the marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred event given deeper meaning by Christ, and is one of the seven sacraments.
During this joyous time of marriage preparation and celebration, our parish will provide you and your fiancé with the tools you will need to experience a holy and blessed ceremony, and a life dedicated to God through the vocation of marriage.
To assist couples planning for marriage, it is necessary to know the procedures and guidelines, which exist in our parish and diocese. You will be provided these specific guidelines at your first meeting with the pastor.
Setting the wedding date
Marriages must be scheduled at least 12 months in advance, so that all paperwork and formation can be completed. To schedule the wedding date, you must contact the pastor by calling our parish office to check for date availability.
However, if you or your intended spouse has been previously married, you must first make an appointment with the pastor to discuss your situation before a wedding date can be set.
Interfaith marriage: A marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic
When a member of St. Mary Parish chooses to marry a non-Catholic, some initial questions naturally arise such as; whether or not the wedding must take place in the Catholic Church, or may non-Catholic clergy participate in the wedding.
In such cases, it is important to meet with the pastor early in your planning process to discuss these questions and options with the couple. Such a meeting will also allow the pastor to explain the required paperwork and permissions necessary, in order for the wedding to be considered as a Catholic sacrament, and valid in the Catholic Church.
Although the ordinary place of marriage will be in our parish church, this is not always the case. Permission may be granted for the wedding to take place in the church of the non-Catholic or another chapel, provided that all Catholic Church regulations are followed.
Catholic weddings are not permitted in secular places, such as gardens, beach or hotels.