Weddings at Ste Marie Parish
…walk in love as Christ also hath loved us-Ephesians 5:2
Please contact Michelle Pisacane at least 6 months before the wedding.
Who may marry in our Parish?
Marriages may be celebrated in this Parish by either the bride or the groom who has been a contributing member of Sainte Marie Parish for a least one calendar year.
General Requirements
The prospective bride and groom must meet with a priest or deacon of the parish at least six months prior to the contemplated date of marriage
If they have not been baptized at Ste. Marie Parish the bride and groom must obtain a recent baptismal certificate (issued within six months of the time presented)
The engaged couple must meet with the priest to fill out the prenuptial questionnaire. This includes biographical information as well as the intended spouse’s testimony under oath concerning their intentions to enter into a Christian marriage according to the teachings of the church.
The engaged couple meets with a couple from our family life center
The couple will meet with a fertility care practitioner for an introductory session
The bride and groom must attend Mass at a Catholic Church regularly
Finally the couple will meet with the priest or deacon to plan the wedding ceremony.
Documents
The bride and groom will need a newly issued baptismal certificate obtainable directly from the Church where you were baptized. If either party has been previously married be sure to advise the priest or deacon so that the proper paper work or documentation may be attained to assure that your marriage can in fact take place in the Church. Non-parishioners must provide a letter of delegation from their pastor.
It is the responsibility of the couple to obtain the CIVIL LICENSE. You must apply for it in person together, and no blood test is necessary in New Hampshire. Please do NOT wait until the last minute to get the license. You may drop it off at the parish office. This license must be brought to the priest no later than at the time of the rehearsal.
Time and Place
All marriages are normally solemnized in the parish at the following times: Friday evenings, Saturdays from 9:00 to 1:00 pm and Saturday evening after 5:30 pm. Weddings are not normally celebrated during the Lenten season (Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday) do to the special penitential character of that time in the liturgical year.)
Banns of Marriage
Banns of marriage have traditionally been part of the process of inquiry concerning the prospective bride and groom’s freedom to marry. Practically speaking they are an announcement of the intended marriage that is published in the parish bulletin on three successive weeks prior to the marriage.
Should there be a Mass?
It is presumed that all marriages between two Catholics will take place within the context of the Mass. Inasmuch as the marriage ceremony should be a sign for all that unties the bridal couple, when one of them is not a member of the Catholic Church and would therefore be unable to receive communion, the marriage normally will be celebrated with the context of the Liturgy of the Word.