Congratulations on your decision to get married!
The vocation of marriage is a great adventure, through which you will establish a
new family, grow in love with each other, and encounter Christ.
The best way to get your marriage off on the right foot is to be an open and active
participant in your marriage preparation process. During the course of the marriage
preparation process, you will receive:
- The Good News of God's love, to help you live your vocation of marriage.
- Some basic principles of Catholic beliefs about marriage and family life.
- Advice and practical assistance for your daily lives together.
- The witness of married couples about how the sacrament of marriage is lived
in their lives.
Please be assured of our prayers for your happiness in married life. We ask God
for his blessing upon you, that you may truly be partners in life and love.
What do we have to do?
Here is an outline of the steps you will take in preparing for your marriage. We've
also included a checklist to help you through the process.
1. Start by meeting with the priest or deacon who will be witnessing your
marriage.
As soon as you get engaged, you should meet with the priest or deacon who will be
witnessing your marriage. Usually this is a priest/deacon at the parish in which one
of you lives.
The priest/deacon will be able to give you an idea of the marriage preparation
process in general, as well as any specific requirements they may have. For
example, some parishes require that couples attend particular marriage
preparation programs, some require that couples take a class in Natural Family
Planning, and others require couples to take a pre-marital inventory (such as the
FOCCUS instrument -- for information about FOCCUS, check out Frequently Asked
Questions page).
You will be able to discuss any particular or special concerns that you may have, or
that may be necessary to deal with before your wedding. For example, there may
be a question of a prior marriage, a difference in religious faith (e.g., a Catholic
marrying a Christian or a Catholic marrying a non-Christian), one of you may be from
outside of the Archdiocese, or other issues.
Your priest/deacon will be able to advise you of the documents you will need. For
example, if you are not marrying in your home parish, you will need to get a
certificate of baptism that is dated within six months of your wedding.
You will have a chance to discuss the different marriage preparation programs that
are available to you, and get a sense of which one is best suited to your needs and
interests. The priest/deacon will give you a schedule book, which lists all the
marriage preparation programs, and a registration form. The schedule of marriage
preparation programs can also be found on this website.
You will be able to set a date for your wedding that is mutually convenient. Please
don’t make firm commitments to catering halls, etc., before setting a date with
the priest/deacon who will be witnessing your marriage -- otherwise, you may find
out that the church or the priest/deacon is not available that day, and you’ll have to
scramble for new arrangements for your reception.
It’s important to have this meeting far in advance of your wedding, in order to have
enough time to deal with any particular concerns, obtain the necessary documents,
and attend the marriage preparation program of your choice.
2. Attend a marriage preparation program.
You are required to attend a marriage preparation workshop (often called “Pre-
Cana"). You’ll receive a certificate of completion at the end of your class. You will
have to give this certificate to your priest/deacon. We also strongly urge you to
attend a class in Natural Family Planning. You should register for your marriage
preparation classes as soon as possible, and attend classes six months to a year
before your wedding. This way, you will avoid the hectic time right before your
wedding, and you’ll get more out of the classes.
3. Follow-up meetings with your priest or deacon.
Once you’ve attended the marriage preparation program, you should have further
meetings with the priest/deacon who will be witnessing your marriage.
These meetings may involve planning your wedding liturgy, reviewing your
experience at the marriage preparation program or the results of your FOCCUS
instrument, and addressing any particular needs you may have.
The priest/deacon will also do a “Pre-Marital Interview” (also called the "PMI") to
make sure that all the Canon Law requirements for marriage have been satisfied.
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