Marriage Preparation at St. Mark's
Please contact the parish priest at (603) 432-8711 at least 10 months before the date of your proposed wedding to schedule your ceremony and arrange for the required pre-marriage preparation.
PREPARATION FOR MARRIAGE
The purpose of evaluation and marriage preparation is threefold:
Evaluation – to be sure that what you intend by marriage is consistent with what Christ and the Church understand as marriage.
Preparation – to help you understand the sacramental aspects of matrimony and to reflect on the dynamics of a successful and happy marriage.
Liturgy planning – to plan the Wedding ceremony itself.
“Church marriage” is a far different reality than merely having one’s marriage in a church. It implies a life of faith and the practice of that faith within a Church Community. If one does not practice the faith with some regularity, and if such a person has no intention or desire to deepen their participation, then a Church Marriage should be reconsidered.
The action of coming to the Church for marriage implies a specific intent, which flows from faith and the understanding of marriage as a sacramental act.
These are some questions to consider as a couple considers a true “Church marriage”:
⧫ What do we consider the difference between “a wedding” and “a marriage”?
⧫ How important is it, for each of you, to be an active member of the Church community?
⧫ Will Catholic Christian values have an impact on how we live our married life?
⧫ As a sacrament, how will your marriage reflect the Church’s effort to present Christian
values to the world?
WHAT SHOULD WE DO FIRST?
Before making any plans for the wedding (setting a date, getting a hall) you should contact the parish priest or deacon you would like to prepare you and preside at your wedding. The couple should make this contact; parents and others should encourage the couple but not become involved in wedding plans and arrangements with the Church. This must be done, in most cases, at least ten months before the intended date of the wedding. Each couple must participate in the Marriage Preparation Program.
A date is not considered confirmed until the priest or deacon is able to meet with the couple and is assured that all is in order for them according to Church, Diocesan and St. Mark’s Parish Marriage Policies.
WHO MAY BE MARRIED IN THE CHURCH?
At least one of the parties to be married must be a practicing Catholic. This means that they have been baptized in the Catholic faith and are living out that faith in a consistent manner. One of the parties must be a registered member of St. Mark’s Parish and regularly attend weekend Mass.
Persons who are members of the other Catholic parishes should discuss this with the priest or deacon.
Many times Catholics find themselves engaged to a member of another faith tradition (i.e. Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish). We welcome the opportunity to work with the couple in this context. Many options are available today that were not available years ago. It’s best to talk with the priest or deacon about your particular circumstances.
Each person approaching the church for marriage also must be free to marry; that is, there must be no reason that person cannot be married. One who is not “free to marry” does not mean that person may never marry in the Church. Persons previously married and divorced, for example, must have, or obtain, an annulment prior to a second marriage in the Church. This generally holds true even if that person was not married in the Catholic Church. If you have questions about the need for an annulment, please consult with our priest or deacon. They can answer your questions and, if necessary, guide you through the annulment process.
It is important that you find out directly from a priest or deacon of St. Mark’s what your eligibility is for marriage in the Catholic Church and not just consult with friends or family members.