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HOW DO I ARRANGE TO HAVE A WEDDING AT ABVM PARISH?
Please contact the Pastor by email at [email protected].
Any parishioner is welcome to celebrate his or her wedding in our church. We will also welcome those who are not parishioners if they have permission from their own pastor.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia requires a parish to be notified at least six months before a wedding can take place. Couples will be asked to participate in a pre-wedding course on married life. To marry in a Catholic church at least one of the partners must be a baptized Catholic, and both partners must be free of any previous marital bond.
A baptized Catholic who wishes to marry should have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
A date for the wedding will be established when the engaged couple meets with the pastor. May the good Lord bless your engagement!WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE BLESSING OF A MARRIAGE IF IT DID NOT TAKE PLACE IN A CATHOLIC CHURCH AND PERMISSION WAS NOT REQUESTED TO MARRY IN ANOTHER PLACE?Catholics who married in a ceremony which took place outside of a Catholic church without previously obtaining permission from their bishop or his representative may have their marriage “blessed” if there are no impediments to the marriage, such as a previous marital union. If you wonder if there is an impediment you should ask your parish priest.
A civil marriage which is subsequently "blessed" is referred to in Canon Law as a convalidation. The ceremony is very simple. It consists of an exchange of marriage vows in a Catholic Church, presided by a priest or deacon. At least two adult witnesses must be present.
In order to arrange for the convalidation of your marriage, please follow these steps:
- Meet with your pastor to request a convalidation of your marriage.
- Complete the marriage preparation which the pastor asks you to do. This takes the place of the pre-marriage course in which engaged couples participate before their wedding.
- Obtain a certified copy of your marriage license and of your baptismal certificates. Baptismal certificates from a Catholic parish must have a recent date of issue. (A recent date is not necessary for baptismal notices from a Protestant church.) Please note that if one of the spouses is not Catholic, the priest or deacon must petition the Archbishop for permission for the blessing of a marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic. The Catholic party is asked to reaffirm his or her faith and promise to raise the children Catholic as long as it does not create friction within the marriage.
- Meet with the pastor or deacon to present the documents and discuss what you learned from the marriage preparation. At this time the Pre-Nuptial Investigation Form (PNI) will be completed. It consists of questions which the priest or deacon asks each spouse separately regarding their religious and family information, their freedom to marry in the Church, and their acceptance of the Catholic view of marriage as a lifelong covenant which is open to having children and requires the exclusive fidelity of the spouses to one another. A date is then set for the convalidation ceremony.
- It is recommended that all Catholics receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before exchanging marriage vows in the Church. You can go to any priest.
- The final step is to come to the church and exchange marriage vows before the priest or deacon and at least two witnesses whom you choose. You will then be free to fully participate in the life of the Church, including receiving Holy Communion. Congratulations!