Guidelines for the celebration of the
Sacrament of Matrimony
To arrange an appointment to discuss your marriage, please read
these guidelines. Then, call the pastor,
298 3863.
“Marriage is a state of life in the Church ….”
Therefore marriage in the Roman Catholic Church implies that at least one
party in the marriage is a practicing Catholic and both parties are free to
marry.
Weddings contracted at Christ Our Light require that the Catholic partner
in the marriage be a member of Christ Our Light Catholic Community for at
least
six months prior to scheduling
a wedding.
Membership
To be a member of the Christ Our Light means that the person has
registered
with the parish,
assists
at Sunday worship with the community on a
regular basis,
and has given evidence of
financial support of the local church.
The fact that an individual while still a minor was
baptized and confirmed at St John in Pulaski or
St Frances in Lacona does not of itself indicate membership.
Catholics from outside the community
Roman Catholics from outside the community who for whatever reasons might
wish a church wedding at the Twin Parishes need to present evidence - usually
a letter - that they are
registered
members of another parish
and have the
permission of their respective pastors
.
Scheduling a Marriage
The Catholic partner(s) who is a member(s) of Christ Our Light needs
to contact the pastor at least
six
months in advance of a proposed date.
For the sake of the liturgical life of Christ Our Light, Saturday
weddings need to begin no later than 1 pm.
Weddings may be celebrated on Friday evenings.
Weddings do not take place during Lent.
Weddings may be celebrated as an exchange of vows;
a Mass is
not required.
Stipends and Donations
The usual fee for a wedding at Christ Our Light is $150.
It is not necessary to have altar servers. Organists and musicians need to
be contracted individually.
If the Catholic person(s) being married
is from
another parish, is scheduling a marriage six months prior to the anticipated
date, and has his or her pastor's permission to marry, the fee is $300 to
Christ Our Light Community which is providing the physical environment for the
sacrament.
QUICK CHECK LIST
for people contemplating matrimony at Christ Our Light
__ Fulfill requirements for
adult
membership six months prior to scheduling a wedding;
__
Schedule a
wedding at least six months prior to the
anticipated date.
__ The people contemplating marriage are the people who are making
the arrangements.
Some thoughts about the sacrament
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Matrimonial Consent
To be free to marry means
not being under any constraint;
not impeded by any natural or church law.
The Church holds the exchange of consent between spouses to be the
indispensable element that “makes the marriage.”
The priest or deacon who assists at the celebration of a marriage receives
the consent of spouses in the name of the Church and gives the blessing of the
Church.
Sacramental marriage is a liturgical act and is appropriately celebrated in
a public liturgy in a church building.
Marriage creates rights and duties in the Church between spouses and toward
their children.
Since marriage is a state of life in the church, certainty about it is
necessary (hence the obligation of witnesses).
The public character of the consent protects the “I do” once given and
helps the spouses to remain faithful to it.
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One in a series of guidelines for the members and friends of
Christ Our Light Catholic Community