 The Celebration of
Marriage
Preparing for and celebrating a
marriage is a joyful and graced time in the lives of
women and men. It is a time when the experiences of the
past and the hopes for the future converge in a present
filled with words of love and promises of commitment .
The parishioners and staff of Saint Malachy Parish share
your joy as you ready yourselves for this most solemn
step in your lives. As a parish we promise you our love,
support and understanding, not only in the months before
your wedding, but in the years ahead as well. To help you
in your preparation, we have readied these brief notes to
outline some of the basic elements of marriage
preparation. Do feel free to speak to us directly if you
have any further questions.
Registering
To schedule an appointment to check on dates feel free
to call the parish. Confirmation of dates cannot be
arranged until after meeting with one of the pastoral
staff members of the parish.
Time
Respecting the liturgical and parish calendars, we
allow as much flexibility as possible. In general this
would allow weddings on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00
PM or after 5:30 PM. On Sundays we can generally schedule
a service from 1:30 PM onwards.
Visiting Clergy
We welcome visiting priests and deacons. Do let us
know in advance so that we may arrange for them. Visiting
clergy from out of state are reminded that they must
secure permission from the Secretary of State of
Massachusetts to officiate.
Preparation Program
A Pre-Marriage Enrichment Program is offered in our
parish twice a year. Our coordinators may be reached at
272-5111. They will contact you with further details. If
conflict of times presents a problem or if you will be
out of town during the months before your wedding, speak
with Dick or Maureen and an arrangement will be made for
participation in an Archdiocesan preparation program or
in the program of another parish.
As part of marriage preparation, our parish community
prays a special blessing for engaged couples from time to
time at the Sunday liturgy. Dick and Maureen will inform
you of the schedule for this blessing so that you may be
present for this service.
Ecumenical and Interfaith Marriages
Recognizing the special challenge of interfaith and
ecumenical marriages, the priest, deacon or pastoral
associate will offer special counsel, speak to the
Catholic party concerning the Catholic upbringing of
children and encourage the non-Catholic partner to speak
to his or her minister/rabbi. We welcome participation of
the minister/rabbi in the wedding ceremony. If there are
further questions concerning ecumenical and interfaith
marriages, we invite you to speak with the priest, deacon
or pastoral associate.
Baptismal Records
In the formal recording of your intentions for
marriage, it is necessary that we record the notice of
your baptism. Please check in advance the date of your
baptism as well as the name and address of the church
where you were baptized. Please call or write to that
church for a certificate of the baptism.
Planning The Wedding Ceremony or Nuptial Mass
The ritual planning of the wedding ceremony or nuptial
Mass is done in a session separate from the marriage
preparation program This planning is most often done with
the assistance of the Pastoral Associate or one of the
priests or deacon. In preparing for this session, couples
should refer to the special section of the marriage
preparation book, or the publication, Together For Life.
This will lead you through the "set-up" of the
rite and help you to identify Scripture readings,
Prayers, etc. The readings and prayers for the ceremony,
as well as the accompanying music, are meant to express
the explicitly religious dimensions of married love
celebrated within the Church community.
Music is extremely important in planning your
celebration. The parish is blessed with a large number of
accompanists and cantors ["soloists" are not
appropriate to a sacramental celebration] that are
available to you. These parish musicians normally assist
at weddings as they are trained in both the proper music
and liturgy of the wedding ritual. Additional
instrumentalists [trumpet, flute, guitar, etc.] are
available. The fees for these musicians can be discussed
with the Pastoral Associate when selections and
arrangements are made.
Finally, in order to allow sufficient time for all of
this, we suggest that you call to schedule a meeting with
the Pastoral Associate, Ken Meltz, about three months
prior to the wedding.
License
A civil license must be obtained from any town or city
clerk in Massachusetts. This should be presented at the
rehearsal.
Photographers
The taking of pictures, both still and video, is
permitted during the ceremony, but we encourage you to
urge your photographer(s) to be as subtle and unobtrusive
as possible.
Environment
The church building allows a variety of possibilities
for decoration. For weddings planned during the Advent,
Christmas, Lenten or Easter seasons, the parish
decorations should be considered; these cannot be removed
for the wedding ceremony. You may order flowers at your
own discretion, taking into consideration the scale of
the worship space and its furnishings. Your florist must
check with the parish office in arranging time for floral
setups. Runners are not used since the church is kept
clean and they often prove to be a dangerous obstacle as
people come to communion or leave the church.
Rehearsal
This should be arranged with the parish office.
Receiving Line
Receiving lines in the church vestibule or outside
after your wedding can be arranged. The timing, however,
must be cleared in advance so as not to conflict with
other services. If you wish the minister presiding at
your wedding to be present to the wedding reception when
his schedule allows, a written invitation is appropriate.
Fees
Many couples ask us what the parish "charges"
for a wedding. Consistent with Catholic practice, there
is no set or standard fee for any celebration of the
sacraments, including marriage. If you would like to make
a donation to help the work and ministries of Saint
Malachy parish, this can be done at any time and would be
deeply appreciated.
After The Wedding
If you will be living in the area, please let us know
your new address. Should you be moving away, we encourage
you to introduce yourselves and become a part of your new
parish community. And always feel free to come back to
Saint Malachy's if we can ever be of help or support.
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