The marriage between a baptised man and woman is one of the seven Sacraments of the Church. Apart from loving and helping each other grow in life, and the mission of raising children, their marriage also becomes a living visible sign in the world of the covenant of love between Christ the Bridegroom and the Church as Bride. No better analogy exists in all creation which reveals God's love for us. It is a beautiful vocation, but just as Jesus Christ died for us, we all know that true love will involve sacrifice.

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If either you or your fiance are living in our Parish and you wish to be married either here or somewhere else, please contact our Parish as soon as possible. There will be both government and church paperwork involved, preparation for the wedding liturgy, and preparation for marriage itself, for marriage is for life, and now is the time to invest in your marriage. This will all take time and so it is best to make contact with the Parish early.

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The Gold standard of Marriage; Preparation, Support, Fertility and Reconciliation is: 

https://smartloving.org

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Practical points

• To avoid disappointment, you should check the availability of the Church before you book your reception venue.

• St Joseph' s Church is only available for the celebration of marriage according to the Rites of the Catholic Church, that is, with a Catholic Priest as Celebrant.

• You will need to contact the Priests at least 6 months before you make any firm arrangements for your wedding. We will do everything we can to assist you.

 

Pastoral Preparation

This involves attendance at one of the Marriage Preparation Courses run by the Archdiocese, this is for all parties regardless of their different religious beliefs.

For more information, visit the Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services website.

 

Documents Required

• If born in Australia a Birth Certificate, not an extract, must be produced.

• If born outside Australia a valid Passport must be presented.

• The Catholic party/parties are required to produce a copy of Baptismal Certificate with notations (issued no longer then 6 months).

 

Catholic marriages are not celebrated outside sacred places (Cathedrals, Churches, Chapels), unless there is a grave reason to do so. In this case, it is necessary to apply to the Archbishop for a dispensation to marry outside a sacred place.

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Before your first meeting with the Priest, please print out the following article. Take 20 minutes  to read the article carefully. Highlight and note what strikes you, and bring the article, with your comments, to the marriage preparation meeting.

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