Catholics recognize in the Sacrament of Marriage a covenant, a gift of unconditional love mirroring God’s covenant with all humanity to whom he gives complete love. This covenant is created when a man and a woman freely choose to form, in God’s image, a marriage. In committing themselves in Christian Marriage the couple accepts the adventure to grow in love and to make this love concrete in their daily lives. The couple’s openness to the gift of children is a sign of their willingness to allow their faith and love to become fruitful by enriching the wider human family.
Couples seeking to celebrate a wedding at Saint Stephen Parish are strongly encouraged to contact the parish priest at least a year prior to the proposed wedding date.
Couples preparing for marriage participate in a process of preparation which includes honest reflection on issues pertinent to marriage. This might take place through a day long retreat or an Engaged Encounter Retreat Weekend.
Weddings are usually celebrated on Saturdays anytime between 10:00AM until 2:00PM. They may also be scheduled on other days of the week as the parish and liturgical schedules allow. A wedding rehearsal is usually scheduled for the day or evening before the wedding ceremony.
Couples are asked to carefully plan the Wedding Liturgy so as to reflect the sacredness of the event. Materials and resources are provided to assist in doing this.
Weddings may be scheduled for couples who are parishioners as well as those who are non-parishioners, upon consultation with the parish priest. Because the planning and celebration of weddings entails a wider use of staff and resources, there is a fee schedule attached to weddings. The fee for weddings at Saint Joseph’s Church is $250 for parishioners and $400 for non-parishioners. These fees do not include fees for musicians and singers.
For more information concerning the Sacrament of Marriage and scheduling a wedding at Saint Joseph And Staint Stephen Parish, please contact the parish office at [email protected] or at 508.754.6722.