Marriage Preparation

Couples should arrange for marriage at least six months in advance. You will have several sessions with any of the priests or one of the deacons of the Parish, plus marriage preparation classes and two workshops (Engaged Encounter and Pre-Cana) are required. Date for Marriage is confirmed when all necessary interviews and paperwork are completed. Please call the Parish Office to make an appointment with the pastor.

Marriage Preparation Team couples or Sponsor Couple are parishioners of our Faith Community of St. Frances Cabrini who serve an important ministry in preparing engaged couples for the Sacrament of Marriage.

The week-day classes, consist of four or more sessions that deal with important marital topics such as communication, conflict resolution, the meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage and finances, etc.  These sessions usually are held at the homes of the Marriage Prep Team couples.

Pre-Cana workshop and Marriage Encounter Weekend are held several times each year and are aimed to better prepare couples for the Sacrament of Marriage.

These sessions bring together teams of married couples to share their experiences and lead discussions regarding marriage, finances, spirituality, sexuality, liturgy and communication.

Please call the parish office to find out the dates for the coming programs. Space is limited.

Outdoor Weddings:

The ordinary place for a Catholic wedding is the parish church.

Marriage is a commitment of two partners to live out their baptism in a particular way. By their love, husband and wife are signs of God’s love.

They pledge to witness the Gospel to their children and community. The church building symbolizes the faithful, the community of believers who have formed the couple in their faith, who will witness their consent, and who will benefit from their service. In the Catholic Church, marriage is a sacred ritual that finds its home in the sacred place designated by the community. The couple’s union finds its spiritual strength in the people whom that parish church represents.

Couples sometimes ask if the marriage can be performed outdoors.

Whenever a Catholic marries another Catholic or any other baptized Christian, the ceremony should take place in the parish church or another church or chapel.

Valid outdoor Catholic weddings have taken place, but our church discourages them because of the sacredness we attach to the ceremony and to our church buildings; therefore our Diocesan policy excludes this possibility.