Marriage
Thank you for coming to the Church for the sacrament of marriage! It is a beautiful sacrament because it witnesses a couple’s love for each other and models the love that Jesus has for the Church and each one of us.
Reserving a Wedding Date
In order to reserve a wedding date, one of the parties must be a registered, active parishioner at St. Francis Xavier for at least six months. If you have moved away from St. Francis for school or work but your parents are still active members, you are welcome to be married at St. Francis.
Preparation Process
To begin this whole process, contact the parish secretary to set up an initial meeting with the pastor. At this meeting, you will confirm the date of your wedding and the pastor will outline the details concerning marriage preparation at St. Francis Xavier.
The preparation will include a pre-marriage retreat, a pre-marriage inventory and meetings with a mentor couple, natural family planning classes, meeting with the director of music, and meetings with the pastor.
Cohabitation
As you are probably aware, cohabitation is inconsistent with the teachings of the Church and Jesus. A couple who is living together is already living as husband and wife. We ask that all couples live separately and chastely until the day of their wedding. If you choose to do this during your time of preparation, then you may have a traditional wedding. If you choose not to separate, we will not deny you the sacrament. Instead, we will treat the wedding as a validation of a natural union that already exists. You will have two witnesses and only immediate family as guests.
Wedding Fees
The fee that you are charged for your wedding is meant only to cover the costs of the wedding. The fee of $300 includes the use of the parish facilities, parish staff time and material used for the preparation. This fee does not include the cost of the pre-marriage retreat, NFP classes and the musicians. If financial assistance is needed, please let the pastor know and help will be provided.