Sacrament of Marriage
What is a Catholic Marriage?
A Catholic marriage is a sacramental bond when it is contracted between a baptized man and a baptized woman, one or both of whom is Catholic. A Catholic marriage is simply a bond when contracted between a Catholic and a non-baptized person.
A Catholic marriage is a covenant, implying that a relationship to God, through Jesus Christ, exists with and between both husband and wife. A Catholic marriage is ordinarily witnessed by a deacon, a priest, or a bishop, and two other witnesses.
A civil marriage does not imply this relationship to God and is simply a contract. A Justice of the Peace witnesses a civil marriage. Whether Catholic or civil, an Ontario marriage license must be obtained from the government prior to the wedding.
Basic Requirements
If you are an engaged couple and are thinking of getting married at St. Basil's, you must contact a priest at St. Basil's at least one year before the your wedding date for marriage preparation. Please note that we require that these two criteria be satisfied:
- At least one of you must be Catholic.
- At least one of you must be registered as a parishioner at St. Basil's for at least six months or must live within the parish boundaries. You can show that you are registered in the parish by completing a Parish Registration Form and attending mass on a regular basis. You can also show that you are registered by using parish envelopes on a regular basis.
Basic Marriage Preparation at St. Basil's
Marriage preparation consists of:
- An initial meeting and interview with a priest before the wedding date is set.
- Each baptized person must provide a copy, that is no more than six months old, of their baptismal certificate with all notations.
- Completion of the diocesan marriage preparation program.
- Completion of the FOCCUS test and the subsequent discussion of the results.
- The wedding liturgy preparation.
- The rehearsal shortly before the wedding date.