Marriage Preparation

 

In the Catholic Church, marriage is held in very high esteem. We believe that it is an unbreakable bond between two people established by Jesus Christ.

 

Before getting married, the Church asks you to consider carefully the meaning and purpose of Christian Marriage and the obligations of married life.  For children of God and members of the Catholic Church marriage is more than a human contract. It is something supernatural and holy and must be approached with that thought in mind.

  • Preparatory Instruction

    • Before you are married in the Catholic Church, you should receive spiritual preparation and instruction in the teaching of the Church relating to marriage. Similar preparation is always necessary before receiving any of the sacraments. If your spouse is not a Catholic, it is important that they feel confident and able to resolve any questions or doubts they may have. The priest must also see each partner individually on one occasion to verify that they are entering into marriage freely. 

      St Thomas and the English Martyrs' Church run a series of Marriage Preparation workshops; to book a place on the next series of workshops contact the parish priest.

      Documents required: The priest will need to know the date and place of your Baptism and will also need to record personal and family details for the parish and civil registers. If one party is not Catholic, the priest will need to ask the Catholic party to sign an undertaking to have any children of the marriage baptised and brought up in the Catholic faith. It is also necessary for each party to obtain from two people who have known them since the age of 16 a signed confirmation that they have not been married before.

      Notifying the Registrar: You need to give notice to the Registrar in the district in which you live. To do this, you make an appointment to see the Registrar and then return to pick up a blue certificate which must then be handed to the priest. (The registrar charges a fee for this notice.) Without this authorisation, the priest is not permitted to conduct the wedding. Notice can be given to the Registrar up to a year before the wedding and it is important to do this in good time once you have confirmed your arrangements with the priest.

      Any questions: The priest will be very willing to answer any questions that you have relating to your wedding or any other matters to do with the life and teaching of the Catholic Church.

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