GUIDELINES
CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to marry. Getting married is one of the most important decisions you will make in life. Making your vows before God and the Church binds you to each other for life. Christian marriage is a source of joy and also a life-giving challenge. It is the call to discover the true meaning of love, commitment and communion.
Getting married will involve not just one day but a lifetime together. It means examining who you are, how you relate and what love entails. It means reflecting on your relationship with each other and also on your relationship with God and the Church. If you have drifted from the practice of your faith, now is the opportunity to think again about its importance.
If you wish to arrange a wedding in the parish please phone (9083 2979) or email the parish office (stmarysoth@downandconnor.org). You will be sent a Church Marriage Application Form.
You should complete the Church Marriage Application Form and return it to the parish office. This can be done by emailing the completed form to the parish office or printing and posting it through the office letterbox. If you are free to marry in the Catholic Church a provisional booking can be made for the wedding which will be confirmed when you meet with the priest or deacon at a follow-up meeting.
The parish office will arrange the meeting with the priest or deacon within the next number of weeks. At the meeting he will explain all the paperwork - Church and Civil paperwork - that will need to be submitted and talk with you about the marriage preparation course. He will also discuss your reasons for choosing Christian Marriage and discuss with you whether the Sacrament of Marriage should take place within Mass or not.
We are glad that you are considering marrying in Church and we will do all we can to help you prepare for Christian Marriage. Choosing Christian Marriage will bring its own requirements in terms of preparing for the sacrament of marriage and accepting what is appropriate and not appropriate at a wedding ceremony in Church.