The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.( Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1601)
In the act of giving themselves to each other and accepting each other in marriage, the couple are joined by a bond that should never be broken. When both parties have been baptized, the marriage is a sacrament which no power on earth can divide. Because of the profound effects and value of marriage, the church requests that a couple begin their preparation at least six months prior to the date of the wedding.
Marriage preparation begins with an initial meeting with the priest or deacon. It includes a series of meetings and a marriage preparation course, independent of the time with the priest or deacon. A wedding date and time will only be scheduled once the couple has met with the priest or deacon assisting them with marriage preparation.
The Catholic parties will need to aquire a new copy of their baptismal certificate. When you contact the church of your baptism, inform them you are preparing to marry. They will know what to send.
If either party has been previously married (in church or civilly, e.g. by a Justice of the Peace), that marriage must be completely resolved before a date can be set for the wedding.
For parishioners, there is no fee for the use of the church, since as members of the parish we assume that you contribute regularly to the ministry of the parish, and we thank you for that contribution. We request only a donation of $300 which helps defray some of the costs to the parish and includes the services of the wedding coordinator.
For non-parishioners, in addition to the $300 dollars above, we ask for an additional donation of $300, which helps to maintain our beautiful church.
If you have read all of the above, accept the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and are interested in setting up an appointment to begin the process, please take a moment to complete and submit an initial questionary Getting Married at St John Catholic Church Please be aware that 2:00 PM on Saturday is the latest we schedule weddings at Saint John’s.
If you’re interested in getting married at our Church, please contact the office.