Marriage
Holy Angels Marriage Guidelines
Preparation is provided with the assistance of the pastor. Contact the Parish Office at least six months prior to the anticipated date of the wedding – 419-625-3698.
Congratulations on your decision to enter into a marriage relationship. Our parish family at Holy Angels is pleased and honored that you wish to make your sacred promises in our church.
Marriage and family life are reflections on God’s covenant with God's people. Society and the Church rest on the foundation of a strong home life. Adults and children grow in the experience of God’s love primarily in the home. Our main concern with the Marriage preparation Program at Holy Angels is to help the couple as they look forward to their life together.
Visit the AmricanCatholic.org website for more information.
SETTING THE DATE: Couples considering marriage are asked to contact the Pastor at least six months in advance of the anticipated date to allow sufficient time to carry out the various steps of the Marriage Preparation Program. Normally the priest who will assist at the wedding will be the one responsible for helping the couple in their preparation. Because Lent is a penitential season, weddings are not celebrated during Lent except for a good reason. Also, weddings are not scheduled after 2:00 p.m. on Saturday to respect the weekend liturgical schedule. All use of the church, including photos must be completed by 3:00 pm.
PREPARATION: At their first session together, the priest or deacon will outline the various steps in the preparation. Preparation normally includes several individual sessions with the priest (concerning the spiritual, personal, and canonical assessments of the couple and, preparing the ceremony) and participation in an Engaged Couple Conference.
ENGAGED COUPLE CONFERENCE: Participation in a Tri-Parish Engaged Couple Conference is a requirement for all couples entering marriage. Topics that are covered include family of origin, communication within marriage, sexuality, finances, and the nature and sacramentality of marriage. One-day conferences are held about once a month at Holy Angels. Engaged couples have generally found the conference to be a very good experience.
TEENAGE MARRIAGES: Special concern is given to young people because of the difficulty early marriages are experiencing today. Therefore, if either party is not yet 19 years of age, there are some special provisions. The couple will be asked to meet with an approved Diocesan Counselor for three sessions for an evaluation of their readiness. The priest must also consult parents or guardians.
PREGNANCY: (1) If both parties are at least 19 years of age, and if the decision to marry was made prior to the pregnancy (i.e. they were engaged) plans for the marriage may be made, if the priest, in consultation with the parents, assesses the couple to be sufficiently prepared for marriage. The Engaged Couple Conference must be completed prior to the marriage. (2) If the couple has not made the decision to marry prior to the pregnancy, Pre-Marriage Counseling and Evaluation must be obtained from an approved Diocesan Counselor before consideration will be given to the request for marriage in the Church. (3) Pregnancy of itself will not be considered as reason enough to make exceptions regarding the setting of a date for the wedding.
REHEARSAL: The rehearsal can be scheduled anytime for the convenience of all concerned parties.
REASONS FOR DELAY: For some just cause, a decision may be reached in consultation with all parties involved that there be a delay of the marriage.
EXCEPTIONS AND APPEALS: Exceptions to any part of this policy or any appeals concerning decisions can be made to the Bishop of Toledo through his delegates. The priest will explain this procedure if it becomes necessary.
INTER-FAITH MARRIAGES: Since the Vatican Council, there has been a progressive improvement of relationships between the Catholic Church and other denominations. One of the happiest examples of this is the cooperation and possibilities involved in celebrating inter-faith marriages.
(1) Couples in inter-faith marriages are to take part in the normal Preparation Program. The priest in discussing differences in experiencing belief and possible problems in the future may spend some extra time. The couple is also encouraged to meet with the clergy of their faith.
(2) No Promises are required of the non-Catholic partner. A dispensation for an inter-faith marriage is still required. Before the dispensation is sent to the Bishop, the Catholic party makes the following promise: “I intend to continue to live my faith in Jesus Christ as a member of the Catholic Church. At the same time I acknowledge the respect I owe to the conscience of my partner in marriage. I promise to do all that I can to have our children baptized and reared in the Catholic Faith.”
(3) If the ceremony is to be held in the Catholic Church, the non-Catholic party’s clergy is welcome to take part in the service. Mass is normally not celebrated at an inter-faith marriage unless it is genuinely requested by the non-Catholic partner. His or her sensitivities in this matter are to be respected.
(4) A Dispensation From Form can be granted to have the wedding at the non-Catholic’s church with his or her clergy presiding at the ceremony. A priest or deacon does not have to be present. However, if invited by the couple and minister, the priest or deacon would be happy to participate if possible.
MUSIC: The Parish Organist is Jody Nave, 419-626-2108. You are asked to contact Jody directly for arranging the music for the wedding ceremony. Currently the fee for the organist is $100.00; also available are soloist and flute for an additional fee. Organists and musicians from outside the parish are welcome. However, they must meet with Jody Nave to review the songs so that they will follow Diocesan guidelines. She will also review with them our local guidelines. The consultant fee is $30.
PICTURES: While not a studio, the Church admits limited and tasteful photography before and after weddings. Sad experience shows that flash pictures and amateur photographers distract and invade the sacred character of the wedding. Photographers and guests are asked to refrain from taking flash pictures during the ceremony. We ask you to limit picture taking to one-half hour after the ceremony, so as not to interfere with other scheduled events. Please notify the photographer of these guidelines.
DRESSING ROOMS: There is available an air-conditioned Multi-purpose Room for bride and bridesmaids to dress. Because of theft in the past, we highly recommend no valuables remain in the dressing room or bathrooms. No dressing room is available for the groom and his ushers.
RICE, BIRDSEED, CONFETTI THROWING: We ask you to refrain from the use of rice, birdseed, and confetti so that the Church may be presentable for the usual weekend services.
FEES: Use of the church for registered parishioners will be $50, (one year before marriage) non-registered local Catholics will be $100, and out-of-town Catholics will be $300. This is a contribution to the Parish toward the upkeep of the Church building and does not go to the individual Priest. Stipend for the priest is at your discretion. However, if the Priest is from outside the Parish, you may wish to give him some remuneration for his expenses. There is a charge of $20 for the Engaged Couple Conference. Any fee for the musicians is arranged personally with the individual musician. The fee is set by musicians and will depend on the practice time required, the particular soloist, etc. It is suggested that the parish fee be paid at the Parish Office during working hours (8 a.m. – 3 p.m.) prior to the wedding date, and the musician’s fee be paid at the rehearsal or before.
Revised Aug, 2009