Sacrament of Marriage
| Wedding Guidelines |
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What is Catholic Marriage?
The Sacrament of Marriage is an intimate communion of life and love established by God. In this sacrament, the spouses are no longer two, but one flesh. What God joins together cannot be put asunder, and thus this sacrament signifies and represents God’s own nuptial covenant with the Church in Christ. Husband and wife are married in Christ and therefore they nurture and foster their union in equal dignity, mutual giving, and undivided love.
How do I go about celebrating my wedding at OLPH?
Either the bride or groom or both must be a parishioner of OLPH in order for the marriage to take place here; Catholic marriage is to take place in the home parish of either the bride or the groom.
The whole process starts by calling the parish offices to make an appointment with one of the priests or deacons. This is to take place no later than six (6) months before the desired date of your wedding. You should contact us before you book your reception hall.
At your appointment, the priest or deacon will give you all the necessary information and requirements for celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage at OLPH.
I’m Catholic, but my intended spouse is not. Is that a problem?
A Catholic can be validly married to a non-Catholic; however, special permission must be obtained for this, which will include the Catholic party promising to do all in his or her power to raise the children Catholic. The priest or deacon handling your wedding can explain more about this.
I’ve been married before. Can I get married in the Catholic Church?
For anyone who has been married before in ANY way, a determination will have to be made to make sure that the person is free from that bond and is free to enter into this marriage. In the case of the death of the former spouse, all that is required is to present the death certificate of the former spouse. In other cases, an annulment will probably be necessary in order to be able to married in the Catholic Church. Again, the priest or deacon handling your wedding will explain everything about what is required.
Does the groom walk down the aisle?
Yes, he does. At OLPH we follow the norms for the ritual for the Order of Marriage, which state for the Entrance Procession: The procession to the altar then takes place: the servers go first, the Priest follows, and then the couple, who, according to local custom, may be accompanied as a sign of honor by at least their parents and the two witnesses, to the place prepared for them.
This is important in order to ritualize and express the unity and equality of the bride and groom. Remember, the wedding is not “the bride’s day,” but rather it is about bride and groom professing their promises in Christ.
Thus, at OLPH the groom is required to walk down the aisle during the Entrance Procession. It is the couple’s choice as to whether the bride and groom will walk down together, or whether the groom, followed by the bride, will be the last two to walk down the aisle as each is accompanied by people of their choice (e.g., both parents of the groom accompany the groom; both parents of the bride accompany the bride).
Where can I find more information about the Catholic meaning of Marriage?
You can go here to find more information.
