Marriage
Weddings and The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
The Catholic Faith views Marriage as a vocational calling between a man and a woman. This beautiful vocation is a call to a life of holiness and service within the couple’s own relationship and within their future family. It is therefore something much greater and deeper than a legally recognised relationship between spouses.
As Catholics we believe that God gives the fullest meaning to our lives, and we invite him into our married life to help and sustain us. The vows we take are Holy Vows taken before God.
The purpose of marriage is to provide a safe, loving environment for the mutual support and care of the couple and for the procreation and raising of children. For a marriage to be valid the couple must accept and embrace these two purposes.
“What God has joined together let no man put asunder.”
Matthew Ch19 v6
The vows taken by the couple are those of unity and indissolubility.
Unity gives the couple a legitimate claim on each other’s time and affection; a mutual trust and exclusion of all others in steadfast faithfulness founded on the love they share.
During the ceremony the couple will vow until “death do us part” upholding the teachings of Christ in the gospel that marriage is a lifelong commitment.
A valid marriage is therefore indissoluble.
The Church recognises these vows are challenging and need to be considered carefully before Marriage is undertaken. To this end the Church helps couples with Marriage preparation.
Are you wishing to get Married?
To marry within our parish at least one of the you should
- Live within the Bourne and Deeping Roman Catholic Parish
- Regularly attend Mass within the parish and have done so for over 6 months
- Your parents live within the parish
- You were baptised and /or confirmed within the parish
Preparing for Marriage?
- Please speak to the priest and establish if you can marry in the church and on any of the dates you would prefer, before you commit to any other bookings.
- You must give the priest at least 6 months’ notice of your intention to marry.
- You will need to complete certain documents with the priest giving evidence that you are baptised and free to marry in the eyes of the Church.
- You will be required to attend a marriage preparation course. The parish priest will give details and arrange times with you.
- You will need to comply with the legal/civil requirements for Marriage.
Therefore, you must obtain a Marriage schedule from the registry office. Without this the marriage cannot take place.
What if I want to marry a non-Catholic or non-Christian?
- As a Catholic you should marry within a Catholic Church unless permission is received to marry elsewhere, so this should not be a problem to you marrying.
- As a Catholic you will be called upon to commit to continuing your faith and to do all your can to baptise and raise your children within the Catholic faith. This calling to retain and pass on your precious gift of faith should not be underestimated, its impact on your future life together should be discussed between you as a couple before Marriage.
What if one of us has been married before?
The Church requires you to be free to marry. You must not be in a Marriage that exists and is valid in the eyes of the Church.
- If you have been married before and have been widowed, you will be free to remarry.
- If you have been married and your partner is still living, please discuss this with the priest – the original Marriage may not have been valid.
If you would like to inform the priest of your intention to marry, please complete the initial enquiry form below and return it to the presbytery. The priest will contact you to arrange a meeting.