Introduction

Congratulations on your engagement to marry! We at Saint Pius the Tenth are happy to share your joy and to assist you in preparing spiritually for your lifetime together through an authentic celebration of the sacrament of marriage.  In addition, we want to help you plan your wedding ceremony as a spiritual experience that your guests and you will remember as truly beautiful.

Establishing a Wedding Date and Time

Wedding dates are established only after the Pastoral Interview (see Steps Towards Marriage). However, couples may refer to the attachments below for potential dates of marriage.

Typically, weddings are scheduled on Friday Evenings or Saturday Afternoons between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm.  We do not schedule weddings on Saturday mornings or later than 2:00 pm on Saturday Afternoons. Some couples may wish to consider exchanging their vows during a Sunday Mass for the whole parish congregation.

Steps Towards Marriage

There are two phases to prepare for marriage: (1) - Pastoral and spiritual discernment into the vocation of marriage and (2) - Preparing for the celebration of the sacrament (The wedding day). Within these steps, there are several private and corporate meetings.

PHASE I: PASTORAL AND SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT FOR THE VOCATION

Step One: Pastoral Interview - A meeting with our pastoral associate to confirm your eligibility to get married, review your relationship with the Church and our Parish, and to set up a date for your wedding ceremony.

Step Two: Couples reflect on their compatability, relationship skills, sources of bonding, and readiness for marriage through the use of the inventory tool, "FOCCUS," under the guidance of the pastoral associate. This step requires at least two meetings and a period of at least two weeks for reflection.

Step Three: Pre-Cana Retreat - couples attending this all day retreat/workshop pray together, reflect on the reality of marriage as a sacrament and covenant, learn of their specific personality types, explore means of conflict resolution, and re-examine their communication skills.

Pre-Cana Retreat will be offered at St. Pius Tenth on Saturday, November 20, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., in the Parish Center.  

Reservations can be made on line at PRE-CANA November 20, 2010 @ St. Pius Tenth Church

PHASE II: PREPARING FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE

Step One: Wedding Liturgy Meeting - couple gather for this half-day meeting to learn how to prepare the wedding liturgy (public worship). Topics covered are the selection of music, readings, prayers, and decoration for a worship environment. In addition, couples reflect on the role of the wedding party as ministers at their weddings.

Step Two: Clergy Meeting - Each couple is required to meet with the clergyman who will officially witness their wedding.

Step Three: Music Meeting - Each couple will meet with our Wedding Music Director to plan for the music in their ceremony.  Sometimes, a couple can combine this meeting with the Wedding Liturgy Meeting.

The Wedding Celebration

There are so many factors that establish "good" liturgy (public worship). Part of the wedding couple's role is to coordinate a worship service that offers God true worship and pastorally ministers to everyone that attends the wedding.  Our parish is ready to help the couple navigate their way through the differences between contemporary cultural expectations and religious expectations of the wedding day.

FORMS OF THE CELEBRATION 

Like all sacraments of the Church, marriage is celebrated in a service of the Word of God.  The celebration is witnessed by a clergyman on behalf of the Church and the State.  One of the following forms is chosen for the wedding ceremony:

Two Catholic Parties who regularly participate in weekend mass and the life of the parish may want to choose to celebrate marriage in a ceremony similar to Sunday mass.

A Catholic and Protestant Party will probably choose to celebrate their marriage within the "Liturgy of the Word without the Eucharist," in order to be sensitive to the guests who are not Catholic.  In this way, we celebrate what unites us, not what sets us apart.

A Catholic and Unbaptized Party will celebrate their marriage within the "Liturgy of the Word without the Eucharist."

HOLY COMMUNION AT WEDDING CEREMONIES 

We encourage couples to include this phrase in their wedding programs for family members who may not share our faith:

"The bread and wine distributed during Mass has a high significance for Christians: it is the Body and Blood of Christ, their Lord and God. If you do not share our faith in the living Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic bread and wine, we ask you to remain in your seat as others come forward. You may, simply, be seated and join in silent or sung prayer."

PASTORAL GUIDELINES FOR THE CELEBRATION

The wedding ceremony is a prayer and service to God from the community. There are three main focal points to this public act of worship: The Ambo, The Altar, and the Wedding Couple.  It is important that decorations, music selection, the size of the wedding party, etc. do not detract the congregation's attention to these three focal points of worship to God.  Couples will want to make it possible for the congregation to fully participate in the service of worship that includes music, Scripture readings, homily, prayers of petitions, the exchange of vows, the blessing of the rings and the nuptial blessing. Listed below are some guidelines:

Fees For the Parish

The Fee for the Wedding Service is $265 as of February 2008.  This fee includes: the Music Director's fees (organist & cantor), clergy fees, Fees for FOCCUS, and Parish expenses. Saint Pius the Tenth Pre-Cana Retreat fee is $65 as of February 2008.  This fee is separate so that couples may have the flexibility to attend other Pre-Cana's that might fit their schedules better.  Fees may change without notice.