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Marriages
Information
Regarding Marriages at
Saint Leonard's Church
Congratulations on your
up-coming marriage! Our parish shares in your joy, and we wish
to help you prepare not only for the wedding day, but also for
your lifetime together.
Marriage is a Sacrament
instituted by Christ to give grace, whereby a man and woman are
legally united for life, with the rights and duties for the
establishment of families. It is also a Covenant made between a
man and woman before God. A covenant is an agreement between
parties (in this case, a man and woman), freely entered into,
binding perpetually, sealed in blood (in marriage - sealed
before God by vows).
Because Marriage is so
sacred and so special, certain requirements are asked of the
couple before-hand.
Arrangements
All marriage
arrangements are the responsibility of the bride and groom. Contact the parish at
least six months prior to the proposed date of the wedding
to arrange an initial appointment with a priest to discuss your
marriage plans. It is advisable to do so even earlier, so that
you will have a better chance of getting the date you desire.
No Wedding
dates are given over the telephone, fax or e-mail. It is necessary for
the couple to come to the rectory and schedule the wedding
personally with a priest. Only the couple themselves are to make
the appointment and are to meet with the Priest. No mothers,
fathers, grand-parents, uncles, aunts, etc.
The wedding date is
not set until after the Priest has met with the couple. Please arrange the wedding date and
time with the church before booking a hall for the reception.
C hurch
Laws, Archdiocesan Rules, Parish Customs, State and City Laws
must be followed.
Marriages
normally take place at Saint Leonard's on Saturdays
between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM and Sundays after
1:00 PM. Exceptions can be made and marriages can be
held on other days of the week for valid reasons.
GENERAL RULES
- A Roman Catholic must be married by a Roman Catholic Priest or
by an ordained Roman Catholic Deacon, in a Roman Catholic Church
or Chapel.
- Catholics are to be married in the Parish Church of the Bride
or Groom.
For a couple to be married at St.
Leonard Church when neither the bride nor the groom belongs to St. Leonard
Parish, a letter from one of their pastors giving permission to get married at St. Leonard Church
is required.
- If either party, or, both parties, to the marriage, have been
previously married, either to each other or to another party, in
a Civil or Religious ceremony, this must be disclosed to the
Priest who is handling the Marriage preparation. If a person's
spouse is deceased, a death certificate is required. If an
annulment has taken place, a copy of the Annulment must be given
to the Priest.
- If the parties to be married are related to each other, either
by blood or marriage, this is to be revealed to the Priest
handling the Marriage preparation.
Marriage Preparation (Pre-Cana) Program
Prospective
brides and grooms are required to complete a Marriage
Preparation Program. It provides engaged couples an opportunity
to gather together with married couples and consider important
issues concerning married life for reflection and discussion.
Information about the various programs offered in and around the
wider metropolitan Boston area will be provided by the priest
working with you. You should enroll in a program as soon as
possible because these programs get booked up well in advance.
After the initial
meeting with the priest and completion of the Marriage
Preparation Program, if you haven't already scheduled a second
appointment, you should contact him again to schedule a meeting
to fill out the necessary papers. A recent record of Baptism
(issued within six months of the wedding) and a record of
Confirmation must be submitted. These can be obtained by
contacting the parishes where the Sacraments took place and
requesting that the records be mailed to the attention of the
priest who is assisting you with your marriage plans.
It is hoped that
both partners spend considerable time together planning their
ceremony, as this is the most important part of your wedding
day. The priest will be happy to assist you in using the booklet
Together for Life, in order to choose the prayers, readings,
blessings, and other ways in which you could personalize your
ceremony. The last meeting includes reviewing these choices and
finalizing the particulars of the wedding ceremony.
If you should
decide to postpone or cancel your wedding, it is necessary that
you inform the priest who assisted you with the arrangements
in writing as soon as possible.
Visiting Clergy
Ordinarily, the
priest with whom you have been working will officiate at your
wedding. However, priests or deacons who are relatives or
friends of the bride and groom are welcome to officiate, with
the permission of the Pastor of St. Leonard's.
If the visiting
priest/deacon
comes from outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, he must
receive an official document of permission from the
Commonwealth. Please explain this to him well in advance of the
wedding date. Such authorization can be obtained by calling the
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions
Section, Room 1718, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108 at
(617-727-2836). They will provide papers for him to complete
and return.
NOTE:
Please inform the visiting clergy that the ceremony must be
concluded in one hour so that it will not interfere with other
parish events that follow.
Rehearsal
The priest
assisting you will schedule your rehearsal at a mutually
convenient time.
Music
St. Leonard's has
its own organist/cantor who should be contacted
regarding all musical decisions for your wedding at St.
Leonard's Church. The priest you meet with will give you the
name and telephone number of the organist/cantor. It is
advisable to contact her well in advance of the wedding.
Only music in conformity with the Sacred Liturgy is permitted.
In planning your
music, the organist/cantor will help you make choices that reflect the
Church's liturgical guidelines and the religious nature of the
sacrament you are celebrating.
Couples who wish
to have visiting musicians/organists/cantors should first
request the explicit permission of the Pastor. Musicians who
come from outside will have to bring their own musical
instruments.
The fee for the
organist/cantor is to be arranged directly with the
organist/cantor and the check should be forwarded directly to
the organist/cantor. The Church is not involved with the organist's fee.
License
A civil
license is necessary for marriage. It can be obtained from
any city or town clerk in Massachusetts. Both parties must be
present to apply. Blood tests are required to obtain a license.
These results are valid for 30 days. Once the license has been
issued, it is valid for 60 days. Please give the license to the
priest or deacon arranging your marriage at the time of
rehearsal, at the latest. After the wedding, he will complete
his section of the license and forward it to the city/town hall
where it was obtained.
Flowers
Flowers are
placed within the sanctuary by the florist upon delivery. This
should be done one hour before the ceremony. In addition, it is
the responsibility of the florist to see that the white
carpet/runner and any other floral arrangements are in place.
Nothing should be placed on the altar table itself. If the
florist is not going to be setting up the church for your
wedding, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for this
to be done by others.
Flowers shaped in the form of an arch are not permitted to
enclose the couple, because they block the view of altar - focal
point in our liturgy.
Seasonal flowers (poinsettias and lilies) will be in place
during Christmas and Easter depending on how close your date is
to either of these feasts. Seasonal decorations and flowers
are not to be moved.
Only elastic or ribbon arrangements are permitted on the pews.
Use of staples, tacks, nails, scotch tape, etc., is not
permitted. If you desire flowers/bows on the pews along the
aisle, your florist is responsible for placing them and your
florist or ushers will have to remove them immediately after the
ceremony.
No candle arrangements are permitted in the Church aisles or on
the altar. During Lenten Season the worship space is decorated
in a very simple manner reflecting the penitential season of the
life of the Church.
The white carpet/runner, if desired, is obtained
from the florist. Our aisle is 90 feet long. It is the
responsibility of your florist/ushers to pick up the aisle
runner immediately after the ceremony.
Photography and Audio/Video Recording
Photographers and
Video Operators are asked not to interrupt any part of the
Processional, Ceremony, and Recessional. They are asked to be as
obscure as possible, not to use any extra lighting, and take all
pictures from the general area of the Church or the Choir Loft.
AT NO TIME SHOULD THEY BE IN THE SANCTUARY.
The guidelines are the same for anyone setting up audio
equipment. These instructions should be communicated to your
photographer or video operator.
Flower Girls and Ring Bearers
Many processions
have been delayed and much attention focused away from the bride
and bridal party, because children who are too young have been
used as flower girls or ring bearers. If you feel that it is
necessary to have someone in these roles, then it is recommended
that the children in your bridal party be no younger than school
age.
No
Rice, Confetti or Flower Petals
No rice, pasta,
bird seed, or confetti is to be thrown at the bride inside or
outside the Church and no flower petals will be allowed in the
Church. Please notify your
family and friends of this ahead of time.
Spiritual
Preparation
Catholic brides
and grooms should receive the Sacraments of Penance and Holy
Communion shortly before their wedding so that they can more
fruitfully receive the Sacrament of Marriage. This spiritual
preparation also gives great peace and strength at the start of
your married life. Encourage your attendants to go to Confession
and Communion also so that they may share fully with you the
graces of this special occasion in your lives. Confessions here
at Saint Leonard's are on Saturday from 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM or by
appointment.
Invitations
It will be
helpful for Catholic guests to know by reading your invitation
if your wedding is a nuptial Mass, especially when it occurs on
Sunday. It would also be helpful for your guests to know that the
Church is situated at the corner of Hanover and Prince
Streets in the North End of Boston. The formal street
address is St. Leonard's Church, 35 Prince Street, Boston, MA
02113.
Note:
St. Leonard Church does not have a parking lot nor toilet
facilities. Further, the Church is not handicap accessible. This
does cause inconvenience and we request you to kindly inform
your guests about it.
Necessary Documents
Ý
An original, recent Baptismal Certificate with the Church Seal
for both parties dated within six months of the marriage. No
copies or faxes. A person who is a baptized non-Catholic must
also present a certificate or letter as evidence of Baptism.
Ý
Though
Confirmation is not an absolute requirement for Marriage, it is
highly recommended before Marriage. When one or both the parties have
received the Sacrament of Confirmation, a Confirmation Certificate
is to be provided.
Ý
If the parties have lived outside the Diocese of Boston, a
Letter of Freedom from the Diocese where they lived is to be
obtained.
Ý
Pre-Cana Certificate.
Ý
If both the bride
and the groom are not from St. Leonard's Parish, a letter from
one of their
Pastors, giving permission to marry at St. Leonard's, is to be
obtained.
Ý
If one or both parties are under 18 years of age, a letter of
parental permission to marry is required.
Ý
Depending on individual circumstances, some couples may need
other documents of affidavits as deemed necessary by the Priest.
Ý
Marriage
License and fee for the Church are to be tendered at the time of
the rehearsal.
Ý
All necessary forms are to be given to the Priest before the
Pre-Marital Questionnaire is filled.
FOR MIXED MARRIAGES
(When one of the parties is a non-Catholic)
Ý
All of the above where applicable, plus a dispensation for Mixed
Religion, from the Diocese of Boston.
Ý
If an Ecumenical
Ceremony is planned, i.e., with a Catholic Priest/Deacon and a
Minister or Rabbi, please inform the Priest concerned, after
which a dispensation from Canonical Form is to be sought in
conjunction with any other dispensation.
Ý
If the Ecumenical Ceremony is to take place in a Church or
Chapel other than a Roman Catholic Church, permission for
Extraordinary Place of Marriage is to be asked from the
Chancery.
Ý
It is not permitted to have two religious marriage services or
to have a single service in which both the Catholic ritual and a
non-Catholic Marriage ritual are celebrated jointly or
successively. In other words, either the Catholic Priest/Deacon
performs the Catholic Marriage ritual and the Minister or Rabbi
gives a blessing, or, the Minister or Rabbi performs his/her
respective service and the Catholic Priest or Deacon gives a
blessing.
Promptness and Punctuality
Out of concern for other
couples getting married on the same day, other people who come for
services immediately following your ceremony and the priest's schedule,
you are asked to have your entire wedding party present at the exact
scheduled times.
Responsibilities of Each Couple
Ý
To contact the priest at 617-523-2210 to complete your
preparation, for additional help in planning the ceremony, to reserve the
services of the organist/cantor, and to discuss the financial arrangements
for the organist/cantor.
Ý
To reserve a rehearsal date which would take place one or two
nights before the wedding.
Ý
To bring the marriage license and Church offering to the
rehearsal.
Ý
To plan the Wedding Liturgy, in consultation with the
Priest/deacon who will be officiating.
Details of the Ceremony
The two main parts of a
wedding Mass are the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
If you decide to be married outside of the Mass, then your ceremony would
still include a Liturgy of the Word, which would be proclaimed according
to Liturgical Guidelines. You are encouraged to include adult family and
friends, who have the gift to read well in public, to proclaim these
readings. If you wish to invite family or friends who are Eucharistic
Ministers to assist in distributing Communion, then they would be most
welcome.
If you decide to print a
wedding program for your guests, then be sure to contact the priest for
help in providing an appropriate worship aid with necessary copyright
permission.
Guidelines for Receiving Communion
- For Catholics
Catholics fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when they
receive Holy Communion in fulfillment of Christ's command to eat His Body
and drink His Blood. In order to be properly disposed to receive
Communion, communicants should not be conscious of grave sin, have fasted
for an hour, and seek to live in charity and love with their neighbors.
Persons conscious of grave sin must first be reconciled with God and the
Church through the sacrament of reconciliation/penance. A frequent
reception of the sacrament of reconciliation/penance is encouraged for
all.
- For Other
Christians
We welcome to the celebration of the Eucharist those who are not fully
united with us. It is a consequence of the sad division in Christianity
that we cannot extend to them a general invitation to receive Communion.
Catholics believe that the Eucharist is an action of the celebrating
community signifying a oneness in faith, life and worship of the
community. Reception of Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us
would imply a oneness which does not yet exist and for which we all must
pray.
- For Those Not
Receiving Communion
Those not receiving sacramental Communion are encouraged to express in
their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one
another.
- For Non-Christians
We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in
Jesus. While we cannot extend to them an invitation to receive Communion,
we do invite them to be united with us in prayer.
NOTE:
1. The Pastor of St. Leonard's has the final say pertaining to
Marriages and all preparations pertaining to Marriages at St.
Leonard's Parish.
2. St. Leonard's is not responsible for objects or equipment
left behind in the Church or Sacristy by florists,
photographers, musicians or guests.
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