To Have and to Hold

Sunday: 3.00 PM

Ask for an appointment with the priest before booking the church for the wedding. If you are not a parishioner at St. Felix, speak with your parish priest before contacting St Felix Parish Office to book the church.

Give at least six months notice to the officiating priest

One months notice is obligatory by law, but the longer notice requested here allows for a calm and serious preparation for marriage.

Couples will be urged to attend marriage preparation courses.

Sometimes people who have not been to Church for a while can be apprehensive about approaching the Church for a wedding. Since marriage can be a time of rediscovering one's faith and making a new start, you should not hesitate to discuss your situation with the priest.

The Notification of Intention to Marry Form must be signed no less than one month prior to the wedding day.

Each person must obtain the following documents:

1. Birth Certificate - Available from Registrar of Births & Deaths

2. Baptism Certificate - A copy issued within six months, available from the parish priest where you were baptised. Send him your full name, estimated date of baptism and a stamped self-addressed envelope.

3. If either party has been married before:

3.1 Death certificate of former spouse

OR

3.2 Decree of Nullity (from the Catholic Marriage tribunal)

AND

3.3 Civil Divorce Decree

A mixed marriage is one where one party is a Catholic and the other party is not a Catholic, whether baptised or not. A Catholic, even when entering a mixed marriage must be married before a Catholic priest.

Permission can be given for a Catholic to marry one who is not a Catholic, provided that the Catholic promises to safeguard his/her own Catholic faith and to do all in his/her power to have the children of the marriage baptised and brought up as Catholic.

The partner who is not a Catholic is not required to make any promises but is informed of the expectations the Church has of the Catholic partner.

Place of Marriage

Since the celebration of the sacrament of marriage has an important religious meaning it is celebrated in the Catholic Church.

Attending some kind of preparation program is essential to the preparation.

“Together as One” is a marriage preparation program. For more infomation ring,

Georges Hall; Tel: 9708 2695

Revesby; Tel: 9771 4385

Centacare also has a variety of programs to suit couples with different back-grounds. Centacare Marriage and Relationship Education Program

Woodlands 165 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037

Tel: (02) 9660 2044 Fax: 9660 2389

Email: mre@centacare.aust.com

Contact Person: Program Manager

The Catholic Church has a network of official marriage counselling agencies throughout greater Sydney.

The official Catholic welfare agency of the Church, Centacare is accredited by the Australian Attorney-General under the provision of the Family Law Act, to assist couples when a marital relationship is at risk, and to help in the resolution of custody and maintenance questions when a separation is inevitable.

Centacare employs staff who are well skilled in the counselling process and who are familiar with the Catholic teachings and traditions about marriage and divorce. Hence they are able to be of significant help in times of marital disharmony and imminent separation.

Centacare marriage counselling programs are available to couples or individuals, Catholics and non-Catholics.

Marriage and Family Counselling Services

Tel: (02) 9283 4899 Fax: (02) 9267 1653

Email: info@centacare.aust.com

Because of the clear teaching of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church does not recognise the re-marriage of a divorced person while the first partner is still living. In the same way it cannot recognise the marriage of a single person to someone who has been divorced.

Sometimes cases arise where the first marriage is, for a number of reasons, not recognised as valid according to the practice of the Catholic Church.

If one of the partners has been divorced, you should discuss the precise circumstances of the situation with the priest.

Church law about the annulment of marriages can sometimes be complex and specialist advice may be required. The priest will be able to refer you to the office in the Archdiocese that deals with these cases.

For a brochure giving a fuller explanation and understanding of the Catholic Church's position on Annulment contact:

Tribunal of the Catholic Church

Tel: (02) 9390 5100 Fax: (02) 9267 2498

Also, you can read MARRIAGE, DIVORCE & NULLITY: A guide to the Annulment Process in the Catholic Church by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson.  Published by Collins Dove.

Up