Sacraments

 

Baptism

Reconciliation

First Eucharist

Confirmation

Anointing of the Sick

Marriage

Holy Orders

Marriage

 

THE CATHOLIC WEDDING IS A SACRAMENT and therefore the Catholic Church establishes specific guidelines for couples who wish to be married in the Catholic faith. The Catholic party or parties should be practicing their Catholic faith by attending Mass every week and participating in the other Sacraments and life of the Church. According to Church canon law, the following may be cause for delay of marriage: a. insufficient faith, or an unwillingness to practice the faith (c. 1086.2) b. a substantial lack of appreciation for the SPIRITUAL and religious meaning of marriage (can. l095;1101.2) c. refusal of the parties to take part in the prescribed marriage preparation program or to refuse to participate in any pre-marriage assessment, evaluation, or counseling.

 

The Sacrament of Marriage, like all other sacraments, is intended for the whole Church. This means that everyone attending the ceremony plays a part in the celebration. The variety of ministries and ways to enhance the celebration are spelled out in the following sections.

 

The Bride and Groom - The bride and groom actually minister the Sacrament of Marriage to each other. During the public declaration of vows, the bride and groom become the minister of Christ's love and unifying grace to each other, to those present at the celebration, and to the entire Church as well.

The Priest - The primary role of the priest is one of leading the various ministries within the assembly. He is called to witness and accept the vows of the couple in the name of the entire Church community and to draw all into prayerful participation of the Sacrament

The Assembly - The Sacrament of Marriage is an act of public worship, and so the assembly that is gathered is called to a role of active participation in this celebration. Through prayers, song, and their witness to the universal love of Christ, the assembly becomes a source of support for the couple as they begin their married life. Care should be taken in the planning to make sure that the assembly may participate in the celebration.

PREPARATION

A couple wishing to be married within the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, must contact the parish priest at least six months before the desired wedding date. This will allow sufficient time for a couple to attend the required marriage preparation classes. No wedding date can be set before the initial interview with the pastor. There will be three or four meetings with the priest before the wedding.
* You must be registered and actively participating in stewardship of time, talent, and treasure for a minimum of six months.

 

MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROGRAM: Other than your meetings with the priest the Archdiocese requires that a couple preparing for marriage must attend some type of preparation classes.

Presently, there is a weekend marriage prep program at Bishop Miege High School. It is usually held on the 2nd weekend of every other month. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 8:00 a.m. (Mass) to noon on Sunday.

 

PRE-NUPTIAL INTERVIEW: During an interview with the priest an Archdiocesan pre-nuptial form is filled out by both the groom and the bride at least a month before the wedding (usually immediately following the Marriage Prep Program.) Besides some biographical information, it contains questions about the person's beliefs, any dispensations that may be required, and the couple's freedom to marry according to the Catholic faith. In the case of an interfaith marriage, you will be asked to sign an agreement to raise your children in the Catholic faith. You should prepare yourselves for this by discussing it prior to your interview with the priest.

 

When the PRE-NUPTIAL FORM is completely filled out, the parish priest will send it to the chancery office in order to receive the Archbishop's permission to conduct the wedding.

 

PLANNING BOOKLETS (Together for Life): One copy of this booklet is for ceremonies with a Mass and the other is for ceremonies without the Mass. You will be given the copy which is appropriate for your chosen ceremony.

 

This book is VITAL in assisting you, the Pastor, and the music director in planning your marriage ceremony. BE SURE TO READ THIS BOOKLET AND CHOOSE TOGETHER THE READINGS, PRAYERS, ETC. THAT WILL BE USED IN YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY. THE COMPLETED SELECTION FORM IN THE BACK OF THE BOOKLET SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE PRIEST CONDUCTING THE CEREMONY AT THE TIME OF YOUR LAST MEETING.

Focus Inventory

This inventory, consisting of over 150 questions to which each of you is asked to answer ‘agree,’  ‘disagree,’ ‘uncertain,’ is designed primarily to raise questions and identify concern areas so that you can think about and discuss them. It is not a test that predicts the future of your marriage, although the choice of statements and categories for study were taken from areas known to counselors and lay leaders as central to success or failure in marriage.

 

Focus explores basic expectations, communication and problem-solving skills and attitudes on money, children, religion, sexuality and in-laws. In addition, it attempts to sharpen exploration on other additional key issues: couple compatibility/match, the impact of individual backgrounds, two-career families, interfaith marriages and second marriages.

 

The Focus inventory will be administered during the first meeting with the priest. You will be notified when the results are available, after which you will need to schedule an appointment with the priest for final feedback.

 

After the Focus inventory has been completed, you will then be ready to move on to the next step in your marriage preparation.