Marriage
Are You Looking To Get Married?
One year’s notice is required in order to be well prepared for the beautiful vocation to which God has called you. Please do not make any bookings before you have confirmation of the date of your wedding from the Parish Priest.
To differentiate the difference between the secular view of ‘marriage’ and what the Catholic Church means by ‘marriage’, we use the term ‘Matrimony’ rather than ‘marriage’.
Initial enquiries regarding Matrimony should be made in writing or email to:
The Parish Priest,
The Presbytery,
22 Stratford Rd,
Wolverton, MK12 5LJ
Email Address: Bernard.Barrett@diginet2.co.uk
Pope St John Paul II says “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the world in which we live.”
What Is Matrimony
It is important that couples seeking to marry in the Catholic Church are aware of what Matrimony is.
The Catholic Church understands Matrimony to be an exclusive, faithful and indissoluble union between a man and a woman who are open to the possibility of bearing children.
Matrimony is more than a contract - a contract is about an exchange of things.
Matrimony is a covenant as it is an exchange of persons [gift of oneself wholly and freely to another] and involves oaths before God which makes it Holy.
Indeed, Matrimony has been raised to a Sacrament by Our Lord Jesus Christ [John 2 – Wedding of Cana] when it occurs between two baptised people; or it is a Natural Bond instituted by God from the beginning [Genesis 2:22-24] when Matrimony occurs between a Catholic and non-baptised person. Be it a Sacrament or a Natural Bond, Matrimony is a vocation that means God has called you to enter this state publicly with this person before God.
Matrimony Preparation
To be married in the Catholic Church at least one of you must be a Catholic.
Should you and your fiancé/fiancée have any personal matters to discuss with the Priest, then you may contact the Parish Office to make an appointment to meet with him.
To help couples better appreciate the meaning and obligations of Holy Matrimony, the Church requires them to do a Catholic Preparation Course for Matrimony.
Our Parish preparation course begins in January. We meet fortnightly to explore the meaning and mystery of Matrimony, covering topics such as:
Does marriage matter?
The gift of self in marriage
Being Man and Woman in Christ
How to have Christ at the centre of your marriage.
The course has 8 sessions culminating in a half-day retreat.
Essential Documents
The following is a list of the essential documents that will be needed if a Catholic:
Baptismal certificate dated not more than 6 months prior to the wedding
Details of confirmation
Letters of freedom to marry from every parish lived in from the age of 16 and a Testimonial of being free to Marry from parents of the non-Catholic party
Permission to marry from your parish priest if not a parishioner
Marriage licence from the Registrar for each party dated not more than 3 months before the date of the wedding and not less than 15 days prior to the wedding.
For those planning to marry abroad, we will need the following as well:
The name of the Catholic diocese and the name and address of the bishop of the diocese.
The name and address of the Church where the wedding will take place, together with the name of the presiding priest.
Order of Service
Please consult with the priest about the choice of a Nuptial Mass or a Wedding Service and the choice of scripture readings and music.
Please note that only Sacred music and hymns are permitted.
For all other details and for planning the service, please contact the Parish Office.
“Marriage is the covenant of conjugal love freely and consciously chosen, whereby man and woman accept the intimate community of life and love willed by God himself, which only in this light manifests its true meaning. The institution of marriage is not an undue interference by society or authority, nor the extrinsic imposition of a form. Rather, it is an interior requirement of the covenant of conjugal love which is publicly affirmed as unique and exclusive in order to live in complete fidelity to the plan of God the Creator”.
Pope St. John Paul II