Married couples are a sacramental sign to the world of God’s love and faithfulness. To be married in the Church is a sign to the community at large that the bride and groom are persons of faith and they wish God’s blessing on their marriage. Your desire for a church wedding reflects your commitment to your faith and practice.
Because marriage is such an important and sacred step in your lives, reflective preparation is essential. This preparation is a discernment process in which the irrevocable consent of the sacrament may be freely chosen, maturely considered, and clearly understood. Your presider will offer guidance for selecting a marriage prep program, to prepare yourselves for the commitment of marriage.
To give yourselves plenty of time to prepare for the sacrament of Marriage, please choose a date no less than 6 months out – it is preferable to give yourselves a full year.
Since Marriage is a sacrament, it is necessary to meet with a priest concerning your ability and disposition to receive the sacrament before a date can be set. Evaluation by the priest includes a spiritual assessment, personal assessment, and canonical assessment. Couples preparing for marriage at Christ the King are asked to:
provide a recent Baptismal Certificate (issued within the last 6 months),
attend the Engaged Encounter Weekend or the Archdiocesan Pre-Cana Program, and,
take the FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication Understanding & Study) questionnaire. This document asks the engaged couple to respond to statements or questions concerning their communication and understanding about numerous topics and issues important to establishing a healthy and happy marriage. A couple from the parish will meet with couples in their home to encourage discussion in the areas where different responses were indicated and to share their own life experiences.
Weddings are normally held on Saturdays. The starting time for the ceremony should be between 11:00 – 3:00 p.m. or after 6:30 p.m. Weddings may also be held on Friday evenings.
If either party has been married before: the parish must receive a letter from the couples’ pastor or deacon stating that they are free to marry. For an annulment, contact the pastor from the church where you are registered.
NO DATE MAY BE DISCUSSED UNTIL BOTH PARTIES HAVE BEEN DETERMINED AS FREE TO MARRY. NO EXCEPTIONS
Weddings may take place at Riverview Catholics for active parishioners. An active member of our parish family is one who is registered in the parish and regularly attends Mass with us for at least 6 months prior to contacting us for the wedding or who has moved into the parish having been active in another parish.