Matrimony
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"More than any other human relationship, that of husband and wife most clearly reflects the unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and his Church."
Ephesians 5:32
CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
AT THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAMCongratulations on your engagement! The clergy and staff of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham take seriously the Sacrament of Matrimony and strive to offer an in-depth marriage formation in order to provide a solid foundation with which to begin your lifelong partnership. Due to the nature of our formation process, we require that either the bride or groom or both has been an active, registered parishioner who regularly attends Sunday Mass for at least 3 months before beginning our marriage formation process.*
Your preliminary step toward celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham is to register for a Sacrament of Matrimony orientation which is held each 3rd Monday of the month (February - November) at 6:30pm in Newman Hall. You will meet with our Coordinator of Liturgical Events, Marriage Formation Coordinators and Sacramental Records Administrator, who will guide you through the 9-12 month process. Please note that a written confirmation of an approved wedding date will be sent to you by our Sacramental Records Administrator after you have completed Phase I and chosen a mentor couple.
You will complete the following 4 distinct and sequential phases:
Preliminary Phase - Attend Marriage Orientation (9-12 months prior to wedding)
Complete Preliminary Wedding Information Form which will be discussed at the orientation session. Please send completed form to Ana Newton at [email protected].org
Phase I - Establish Freedom to Marry (9-12 months prior to wedding)To establish your freedom to marry, the following documents must be obtained, completed, and submitted by the bride and groom. During phase I you will meet with the Sacramental Records Administrator.
Affidavits of Freedom to Marry
Baptismal Certificate with Notations
Birth CertificatePhase II - Initial Interview and Marriage Formation (9-12 months prior to wedding)
We begin this phase with an initital meeting with clergy who will review the documents gathered in phase I and will complete a prenuptial interivew. During this process it will be determined if specific permissions or dispensations are required.
Additionally, during this phase, you will complete FOCCUS - Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study which is a self-diagnostic inventory designed to help couples learn more about themselves and their unique relationship. It is not a test nor is it meant to be a predictor of success or failure in marriage. It is an instrument to help couples name and work through issues before marriage.
The following documents will be completed and submitted during this phase.
Prenuptial Interview
Permissions/Dispensations (if necessary)
FOCCUS Completion Certificate
NFP Completion CertificateThe Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because we respect God's design for married love. In fact, NFP represents the only authentic and organic approach to family planning available to husbands and wives because these methods can be used to both attempt or avoid pregnancy. Couples are required to complete NFP training prior to marriage.
We strive to offer an in-depth marriage formation in order to provide a solid foundation with which to begin your lifelong partnership. We utilize Witness to Love which is a unique virtue-based system of marriage formation which forms engaged couples for a sacramental marriage and fosters their transition into a welcoming community of faith before and after they are married. Mentor couples are an integral portion of your marriage formation and you will be given guidelines on how to choose your own mentor couple. NOTE: Your wedding date will be set after you and your mentor couple have agreed to enter the formation process. The Witness to Love process requires at least 8 months to complete. Our hope is that you and your mentor couple will continue to meet for years to come.
During phase II you will meet with Clergy, Marriage Formation Coordinators, Mentor Couples and NFP Instructors.
Phase III - Wedding Day Plans (4-6 months prior to wedding)During phase III, you will meet with our Liturgical Events Coordinator who will guide you through choosing Scripture readings, Hymns, rehearsal and reception details, wedding booklet as well as our policies and fees.
* If you would like to get married at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham, but are not registererd parisioners, we require a letter of permission from your parish pastor in order to officiate your marriage. Additionally, Establish Freedom to Marry (phase I) and Marriage Formation (phase II) must be completed in your home parish. We require a letter from your pastor stating that you have completed your parish marriage formation and copies of all documents must be submitted to our Sacramental Records Administrator at least one month prior to the wedding date and regular progress updates must be given to our Marriage Formation Coordinators with your marriage formation being completed at least one month prior to the wedding date. You will complete Wedding Day Plans (phase III) with our Liturgical Events Coordinator.