If you don’t live near the church you were baptized or confirmed in, start attending regular mass and sign up to be a member at a Catholic church you’d like to be married in. Get approval from the pastor of the church you want to get married in, if it’s different from your local church. If you plan on being married in a region different from your local church, find which diocese that region is a part of. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a zip code search tool to find your diocese. [2] X Research source
Each party must be able to give full consent to marriage. Each engaged person should not show signs of coercion. [3] X Research source Mental illness can prevent full consent. The sacrament of marriage will be explained and should be understood.
If you are widowed, you will need to show evidence of death paperwork. If you received an annulment of a previous marriage, you will need to show your priest this paperwork. You can apply for a Declaration of Nullity, if you do not have an annulment from a previous marriage. This will be decided by a tribunal at your home parish.
You will have to get a “Permission to Enter into a Mixed Marriage Form” from your priest, if you’re marrying a baptized non-Catholic. If you’re marrying someone not baptized, like an Atheist, Muslim or Jewish person, you will need your priest to approve a “Dispensation From Disparity of Cult Form. ” A wedding between a Catholic and someone not baptized can still be held in a Catholic church, but it won’t be considered a sacrament until both parties are baptized.
Specific programs are offered for things like remarriage, bringing children into a marriage and interfaith marriages. Some of the issues covered are prayer, the meaning of marriage and sacramental roles. Most classes are taught by an experienced married couple. You will receive a certificate of completion to present to the marrying priest upon finishing the course.
If you and your future spouse are experiencing financial hardship, you can come to an agreement with your local priest. Ornate clothes and fresh flowers are considered extras by the Catholic Church and are not things they help with.
You can make a couple of different choices on how you respond to the priest during the ceremony. You can choose from several different prayers the priest will use throughout the ceremony. Music must be similar to what you hear during regular mass. [11] X Research source
