Marriage
Congratulations if you have just got engaged or are thinking
about what would be involved if you were to have your ceremony
in a Catholic Church.
It is a requirement of the Diocese that all couples wishing to
get married must give a minimum of six months notice to the
Parish. This is to give adequate time to complete all the
necessary paper work and legal requirements for both Church and
State before the wedding can take place.
To be married according to the Rites of the Catholic Church
either you or your fiancé must be a member of the Catholic Faith
through your Baptism. Further, both of you must be FREE to
marry which means neither of you have been married before either
in a Civil or Religious Ceremony. The Diocese also expects
every couple to undergo a course of preparation. The form
of this may vary. There are regular Engaged Couples Days
offered throughout the year at the Christian Education Centre
which is based at Crawly in West Sussex.
In the Parish of the Nativity of the Lord you have a choice of
being married in any one of our three churches. You need
to make an appointment to speak to one of the clergy team – see
Contact Us. If both of
you are Catholic you might like to think of being married with a
Nuptial Mass. If your fiancé is a member of another Church
or not a Christian then you might wish to have a wedding
ceremony that would not include Mass or Holy Communion.
The Church still requires that the Catholic partner of the
marriage signs a written undertaking that any children born of
their marriage will be baptised and brought up in the Catholic
Faith. There are exceptions when a Catholic might wish to
marry in the church of another denomination. The same
conditions regarding the upbringing of your children apply here
also. Such marriages require the permission of the
Bishop’s Office before a priest can take part or the marriage be
recognised by the Catholic Church. Please remember that
there is an absolute requirement to respect both the Civil and
Church Law governing marriage.
We look forward to hearing from you. Remember please give
plenty of notice. The earlier the better. We have
many weddings and would wish to accommodate you on the day of
your choice. When we meet with you we will undertake to
complete all the paperwork and advise you about Engaged Couples
Days; the Order of Service for your Wedding; Flowers; Fees; the
Organist and answer any questions you may have.
Once again, our warmest congratulations on your engagement.
Be good to each other.
