Marriage

Marriage preparation is based on an initial meeting with one of the parish team, attendance at three Sessions of the Parish Marriage Course or attendance on a Diocesan Day for engaged couples. After having completed the marriage course couple would arrange a final meeting with a member of the parish team to complete the paperwork.

Couples are required to give six months’ notice of an intention to marry. This is the Diocesan requirement.

If you normally live in this parish and are planning to be married here or in any other Church, you should try to give at least six months’ notice to the parish Clergy. Our Lady and St Dominic Church offers marriage preparation several times a year. (November, January, April and June).

The parish has a marriage preparation team who lead the days and give the input, but most of the work is done by the couples themselves, in group sharing, conversations between themselves, group activities and of course the time spent in those informal conversations about their future plans together. The group also lunch together.

An initial meeting with one of the clergy is followed by four one-hour sessions with other couples. A final meeting for each couple, to complete the required documentation is arranged by appointment.

The themes covered on the day are, What do we understand by Marriage?, What is Love, Examples of Christian Love, Hopes and fears,, Sacrament and Vocation, Consent, Family and Children, Living out your vows, Vows, Promises, Covenant and Contract- what is the difference, Forgiveness and understanding, the Churches teaching on Sex and Love, and a final session which looks at the Marriage Ceremony- Do’s and Don’ts and touches also on the civil requirements.

The course also touches on recent Papal teaching on Marriage, in particular, Amoris Laetitia and the words of Pope Francis to young couples at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin and also at World Youth Day and his Catechesis on Marriage given in Rome.

We wish our couples and all those preparing for Marriage a fruitful time of discernment, prayer and preparation and our prayers go with them for the wedding day and their married life together