FAQ's about getting married at St BonaventureProcedures for weddings at St. Bonaventure
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Dear Friends, Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! On behalf of the St. Bonaventure parish community we congratulate you on your decision to give yourselves to one another in Christian marriage. The gospels relate that the greatest commandment of the law is to "love our neighbor as ourselves". In Christian marriage this Good News of Jesus is made human and real in a special way. God loves you so much that He has given you to each other to love for your entire life. This gift, however, does not come without real effort on your part. In a Christian marriage your commit yourselves to a love that is selfless, faithful and giving, so giving as to be open to the rearing and nourishing of children. This kind of total and permanent commitment must be entered into with complete freedom. Because we look upon this moment in your lives with such importance, it is only natural that the preparation for this life-long experience is one that we take most seriously as a Church. Certainly, the day of your wedding is one that will hold wonderful memories for you as the years unfold. But it is the life-long experience of marriage, and preparation of it, that is of utmost critical importance for us as a Church. "A wedding is a day, marriage is a lifetime." It is our hope that the information provided here will assist you in initiating and planning of both your wedding and your marriage. Marriages never take place in isolation. It is in the nurturing environment of families that we come forth to reach out to continue the cycle of love and life. It is in the midst of a family and faith and this parish community, to which you belong, that this moment of commitment will be celebrated. We hope that your relationship with us will continue beyond this moment so that now united in love, we might contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ in our midst. May the Lord bless you in your love for one another! The priests, deacons and staff of St. Bonaventure Church What if my fiance is not Christian? We welcome interfaith couples. The fact that one is Catholic and the other is not Christian does not, of itself, keep a couple from being married here (or in any Catholic church). There are some very real challenges that the couple needs to address. We can be of help here if you want. What if I have not attended Mass regularly in a long time? Since marriage is a sacrament of the church it will be important to take positive steps to return to the regular practice of the faith. One reason for taking 6 months or more to prepare for marriage in the Catholic Church is to give the couple the time and the opportunity to do this. Must I have been confirmed? No, confirmation is not a requirement but it is an important sacrament of full initiation into the Church. If possible try to receive confirmation before your marriage. We can tell you what the possibilities are. If one of us have been married previously can we still be married in the Church? It will be important to make an appointment with one of the priests before anything else. He will explain your situation and offer help. No marriage date will be set while a previous marriage situation remains unresolved If I get married in another church will I remain a Catholic in good standing? Since marriage in the Catholic Church is a requirement for Catholics, a person who marries elsewhere without special approval can no longer consider himself to be in good standing. He is not excommunicated, i.e. denied entry into the church, but he is not entitled to receive Holy Communion until such time as the marriage has been validated according to the laws of the Catholic Church. Can divorced people receive Holy Communion? Yes, as long as they are not living in another marriage not sanctioned by the Church. These probably are not the only questions that people have but they are among the most frequently asked. Ask more questions if you need to. E-mail us by clicking here: What is an Engaged Encounter weekend? Catholic Engaged Encounter is a great experience for couples. It is a requirement. To learn about the weekend. Log on to www.eeweekend.org Procedures for weddings at St. Bonaventure
"A wedding is a day, a marriage is a life-time." Marriage is a sacrament of the Church. Just as Jesus
attended the wedding at Cana He also attends yours. The Church expects her members to be
married before the priest and in the Catholic Church. Weddings may not be
performed outside of a sacred place. Marriage is too important a step to
be made in a hurry. Our parish extends a welcome to all who come here for marriage. |
