Do Right, Love Goodness, Walk Humbly with Your God. - Micah 6:8

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Matrimony

 

Dear Friends,                                                                                                                                 

 

Congratulations on your engagement. The Holy Family Parish Community shares your joy and excitement as you anticipate your wedding day. 

God has called you to the vocation of Christian Marriage. As you prepare for your wedding day, we hope you will prayerfully reflect on the life you are beginning and how your faith can strengthen your marriage. Know that you are in our prayers during this time of preparation.

 

Your marriage and your wedding celebration are important events for you, your family, and your parish. Your marriage, lived out, is an expression of your love and commitment to one another as well as a sign of God’s love for all people. Plentiful time and effort must be given to preparing for your marriage. 

The following guidelines are meant to provide you with important information to be used in the planning of your wedding. We are pleased to share the responsibility of helping you prepare for this day and more importantly, a lifetime together. Please take the time to read these guidelines carefully. 

 

Time for Preparation:  Please plan to begin your preparation for marriage at least 8 to 12 months before your wedding date. This allows us adequate time for dialogue, planning, and meaningful preparation for your marriage. We are not able to provide you with a confirmed wedding date until you have met with our pastor or deacon.

 

Marriage as a Sacrament:  A sacrament is an encounter with Jesus Christ. Every sacrament brings us into contact with the saving activity of the Lord. In every sacrament, we experience God’s presence in a visible, tangible way. 

 

The ministers of the Sacrament of Matrimony:  When a man and a woman exchange marriage vow, they share in the love of Christ. The ministers of the marriage are the bride and groom. They extend the Lord’s presence to each other, becoming a sign of the Lord’s presence to others. 

 

Visible sign of the Sacrament of Matrimony:  The exchange of marriage vows are a visible sign of the Sacrament. To have a true exchange of the promises of those vows, both the bride and groom must be responsible adults, capable of forming a community of life and love. The couple must honestly and without reservation declare to each other their willingness to assume the duties of marriage and parenthood according to the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church.

 

For more information on the Marriage policy of the Diocese of Cleveland, visit https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/offices/worship/sacraments/marriage



  Fr. Michael P. McCandless, Pastor,                          Deacon John Green,                               Mrs. Kathleen Ott

mccandless@holyfamilystow.org           green@holyfamilystow.org           ott@holyfamilystow.org

 

The Ideal - Declaration of Matrimonial Consent: We, in the presence of one another, individually declare our freedom to marry and our freedom from any known impediments between us. We hold marriage to be a lifelong, faithful union and process of choosing each other for the mutual and total sharing of our life and our love. It is a union which is open to children. It is a union that is modeled after and symbolizes God’s ever-faithful love for His people. It is a partnership of the totality of life and love that we seek and to which we will publicly give our consent in marriage.

 

Criteria for Assessment of Readiness for Marriage:  The priest/deacon, who prepares a couple for marriage, must assess them. This assessment, completed in conjunction with the Prepare and Enrich instrument, covers three areas:

  • Spiritual:  Minimal religious readiness includes, among other things, the acceptance and practice of the Catholic faith by at least one of the parties, or the serious intention to resume such practice. This also includes the acceptance of the religious and sacramental nature of marriage. At Saint Albert the Great, we require that at least one party (or their parents) be a registered parishioner in good standing. This means that the Catholic party practices their faith and regularly attends Mass.
  • Personal Assessment:  We will look at the areas of psycho-social development: self-sufficiency, reality awareness, responsibility, selfless relationships, and self-acceptance. These areas will be evaluated and discussed to assess the ability to make a mature marriage commitment. This is for your well-being and to strengthen the permanent covenant of marriage. 
  • Canonical Assessment:  Through dialogue, it must be determined that a couple is free to marry within the Catholic Church and that there are no impediments of Church law. In the case of a remarriage or validation of an existing union, we will assist you in taking the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the Diocesan Tribunal. 

 

Overview of Process and Content of Marriage Preparation:  The Church’s preparation for marriage is not just for a wedding day, but for a lifetime of love and commitment. It is hoped that couples recognize the importance of their preparation for Christian marriage. The process includes:

  • Introductory Meeting - There will be an initial meeting with the priest/deacon during which the couple will be interviewed, will set a preliminary wedding date, and complete the necessary paperwork requesting marriage in the Church. The priest/deacon establishes the couple’s freedom to marry in the Church and explains to them the preparation process and theology of marriage.
  • Prepare-Enrich Instrument - The online instrument called Prepare-Enrich will be used to assess the couple’s readiness for marriage and to help encourage communication on topics related to marriage. It also assists the priest/deacon in preparing you for marriage to help you know each other better. The review of Prepare-Enrich begins with an overview by the priest/deacon as well as Mrs. Kathleen Ott, our Director of Parish Life.  Kathleen is trained in the interpretation of the Prepare & Enright Instrument. She will concentrate on the specific Strength & growth area of each couple. All of this is held in strict confidence.  
  • Preliminary Review of General Prepare-Enrich Results – The results of the Prepare-Enrich instrument will be addressed in two separate meetings. The priest will go over the areas of general concern, the overall scores, the dynamics of relationships, and the personality profiles. 
  • Theology and Spirituality of Marriage – usually in two office visits the priest/deacon reviews the introductory portions of the Prepare-Enrich Tool and instructs the couple on the spiritual and theological features of Christian Marriage as it is taught by the Catholic Church

 

 

  • Pre-Cana One-Day Retreat -

This retreat day will assist you in your transition to married life. Please register for a Pre-Cana Day offered monthly at the Jesuit Retreat House or at another location discovered through the diocesan Marriage and Family Life Office. 

 

  • Liturgy Planning - Each couple will be given resource material to help you prepare your wedding liturgy. The liturgical planning is normally completed in two sessions.
    • A meeting with the priest/deacon preparing you at least two months prior to the wedding date, during this time, all your scriptures, music, participants (readers, Eucharistic Ministers, etc.) must be determined.

 

  • A meeting with the Parish Music Director, Mrs. Reba Dallas. You should contact her
  •  at least 3 months before your wedding date.  You can contact her at 330-688-6411, ext 250
    • All music played during a Church ceremony is to be religious or classical music. Popular songs and show tunes are better suited for the wedding reception rather than the Church ceremony. 
    • The parish normally provides all the music for your wedding, including a keyboardist and a cantor. Additional instruments and musicians are welcome - however, you must discuss that request with Reba Dallas and you are responsible for any financial remuneration for the additional musicians and/or vocalists. 
    • No pre-recorded music is permitted. 
    • Any copyright permission must be obtained from the publisher for any music printed in a program.

 

  • Mixed Religion/Interfaith Couples - Whenever a wedding liturgy involves an inter-religious couple, the celebration is typically outside of Mass (not to include Eucharist). The minister of the party who is of another faith tradition is welcome to participate in a formal manner in the non-Eucharistic wedding ceremony as appropriate and in accord with the Ecumenical Guidelines of the Diocese of Cleveland. 

 




Necessary Documents:  In order to prepare for your marriage, the following documents are required:

  • Baptismal Certificate - A NEW record of baptism is obtained by contacting the Church of your baptism and asking that it, a copy of your baptismal record with any notations, be sent to the priest/deacon who is witnessing your marriage. This record should be dated no more than six months before the wedding date. This applies only to Catholic parties. If you were baptized at Holy Family, our parish staff will prepare the document for you.  Baptized non-Catholics can present their original Baptismal Certificate. 

 

  • If either party has been previously married before a priest, minister, or civil official - The following documents must be provided before any wedding date and/or marriage preparation can begin:
    • Certificate of previous marriage.
    • Death certificate of a former spouse if the marriage ended through the death of a spouse.
    • An original version of the “Declaration of Nullity” from the Diocesan Tribunal that rendered that decision if the termination of the marriage came as a result of divorce. 
  • Dispensations - If a dispensation is required, as in the case of inter-religious marriages, the dispensation/permission will be submitted to the diocese by the priest/deacon who is responsible for the 

marriage preparation at least two months before the wedding date.

  • Marriage Banns - For a wedding between two Catholics and for mixed marriages, “marriage banns” are published in the Sunday bulletins in the parishes where the Catholic parties reside on three successive Sundays. The purpose of these “banns” is to announce the intended marriage and to determine the freedom of the parties to marry. 
  • Civil Marriage License - A marriage license must be obtained no more than 60 days prior to the wedding in the Ohio County of residence of either party. If neither party is a resident of Ohio, the application must be obtained in the county in which the ceremony is performed. For Cuyahoga County residents both parties must be present at the time of the application. Both must provide a Social Security number. The marriage license costs $60.00 in cash and is valid for 60 days. If there were any prior marriages a certified copy of the divorce decree with the location, date and case number is required. In Cuyahoga County marriage licenses are obtained from:

 

                       




Probate Court of Summit County

Marriage License Dept

209 South High Street

Akron, OH 44308

330-643-2352

 

 

Setting the time for a Wedding at Holy Family Parish 

Friday evening at 4:00 pm or 6:00 pm 

Saturday at 11:00 am or 1:00 pm

 

The normal fee for a wedding at Holy Family is: 

$250.00 for parishioners 

$400.00 for non-parishioners 

 

Wedding Party:  The number of attendants is left to the discretion of the bride and groom. It is strongly encouraged that any children who are involved in the ceremony be at least 5 years of age.  The bride and groom are seated in the sanctuary. However, no one from the wedding party, including the official witnesses are seated in the sanctuary during the ceremony. The official witnesses come into the sanctuary for the exchange of vows. 

 

Witnesses:  Catholics, members of other Christian traditions, and non-Christians may act as the official witnesses (best man and maid/matron of honor) at a Catholic marriage.  However, it is not possible to have “co-best men or co-maids/matrons of honor.”   

 

Visiting Priests or Deacons:  A priest or deacon who is a relative or close friend of either party is always welcome at Holy Family Parish to concelebrate, preach, or witness the exchange of vows. The initial introductory meeting will take place with a priest/deacon from Holy Family Parish to assist the couple in determining the most appropriate manner to welcome the visiting priest/deacon. If the couple intends to have the visiting priest or deacon witness the exchange of vows, then that priest/deacon will normally be responsible for the marriage preparation following the policies of the Diocese of Cleveland and Holy Family Parish. If the visiting priest or deacon is from outside the Diocese of Cleveland, he must obtain a “Testimonial Letter of Suitability” from his diocese of incardination at least one month before the scheduled wedding time. 

 

Reconciliation (Confession):  The bride and groom are strongly encouraged to spiritually prepare for their wedding day by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Confession. 

 

Wedding Rehearsal:  Arrangements for the rehearsal are made with the priest/deacon who is presiding at your wedding. We will touch base a month before your wedding to review the ceremony and other details. The entire wedding party, including participants such as readers and extraordinary ministers of communion, are to be present for the rehearsal. All participants are asked to arrive on time so that the rehearsal can begin at the scheduled time.  You should allow one hour for the rehearsal. We will oversee the rehearsal and be present at the wedding ceremony. 

  • The following are items that may be given to Marty Kaiser at the rehearsal.
    • If you have a wedding program, bring them and they will be stored for the wedding day.
    • Pew Markers will also be stored for the wedding day
    • Rose petals, birdseed, rice are not permitted, only bubbles, balloons or bells




The Wedding Day:  Plan to arrive approximately 30 minutes before the time of your wedding ceremony. The Church has a small bridal room available for the bride and bridesmaids. While it is equipped with a mirror and restroom, it is best if everyone is dressed in their wedding clothes prior to coming to the Church.

 

Please note that it is not permitted to have any alcoholic beverages in the church or the bride’s room. It would be inappropriate for any member of the wedding party to consume any type of alcoholic beverage before the wedding ceremony or immediately after the wedding ceremony anywhere on the church property. The law of the church forbids a priest/deacon to marry anyone who might be intoxicated because the individual might not be able to freely give his/her consent.

 

Finally, please make arrangements to have someone pick up any personal items that might be left behind by members of the wedding party after the ceremony.

 

Flowers:  There are no requirements for flowers for weddings. Flower arrangements should be tasteful.

addition to the church environment so as not to impede movement or impede the focus of the ceremony. Pew bows are permitted.  Arches, trellises, and other large free-standing objects are not permitted. 

 

Aisle Runner:  We do not permit the use of aisle runners in our church due to the slip and trip hazard caused by fabric, paper, and plastic runners on top of the terrazzo floor

 

Photography & Videography: 

  • To make things run smoothly and to keep the ceremony as sacred as possible, all photographers and videographers must abide by the following guidelines:
    • It is important that the ceremony begins at the scheduled time - with the entire wedding party standing in position in the church vestibule ready to begin the entrance process. 
    • It is important that the photographer keeps a low profile throughout the entire ceremony. At no time, following the entrance procession, may a photographer or videographer enter the front half of the church.
    • At no time may the wedding ceremony be interrupted to take pictures. This includes the procession in and out of the church.
    • Please try to be as quiet and unassuming as possible during the ceremony and the pictures afterward, since it is likely that people will be entering the church for the next function. 
    • The wedding party is allowed for one & one-half hours in the church.

Closing

Once married, please be sure to take the time to contact the parish in the area where you will be living as a married couple and register as members of that parish community.

 

We hope and pray that your wedding will be a time of true celebration of your love for one another and for the Lord. We are praying for you on your journey. God Bless You!





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