Sacrament of Matrimony

A wedding is a very important moment in the lives of every couple. It is the time when they publicly state their life-long marriage vows before God and the Church. This action is blessed by God and is a sacrament of His unconditional, permanent, and faithful love. Marriage is sacred. We hope these guidelines will help you in planning a ceremony that is inspiring and will be a source of grace throughout your life together.

Couples who wish to be married at Saint Bernadette should contact the parish office no less than six months before the proposed wedding date.  Registered parishioners of Saint Bernadette need to make an appointment with the pastoral staff through the Assistant Director of Worship and Music to discuss marriage preparation, stipend schedules, and available dates.

Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 1:30pm or Friday nights between 5:00pm and 7:00pm.  There are no Saturday evening weddings at Saint Bernadette.

At Saint Bernadette, marriage preparation usually includes 2-3 meetings for completion of the FOCCUS Instrument (pre-marriage inventory) and ceremony planning.  The FOCCUS covers many areas of communication, personal history, and decisions within a person’s and a couple’s life. The acronym stands for Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding, and Study.      

Couples must also attend a Diocesan-sponsored Foundation for Marriage class (one Saturday) or meetings with a  Saint Bernadette sponsor couple.

Once the necessary marriage preparation has begun, the Assistant Director of Worship and Music will give couples an outline of the wedding ceremony and a list of suggested readings/prayers/music to begin planning the details of the wedding ceremony.

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