Marriage
At
The Cathedral of
Saint Patrick
A Letter from the Rector
Dear Friends,
Congratulations
on your engagement! We are happy
that you have chosen to celebrate your Catholic marriage ceremony at the
Cathedral.
The information
contained in this booklet is designed to assist you in your marriage
preparations. We want to help you
in your plans, but we must ask you to do your part to adhere to the following
guidelines so as to make your wedding ceremony as beautiful, memorable, and
uncomplicated a celebration as we all want it to be. We ask that you cooperate with us so that your deeply
personal commitment to each other may be happily witnessed by your families and
friends.
Our best wishes
and prayers, and GodÕs blessings upon you both at this important time in your
life.
Sincerely,
Msgr. Anthony S. Rosaforte
Rector
Scheduling Your Marriage
If you have been
previously married please contact the Cathedral priests. You will need a dispensation or annulment.
In keeping with
the norms of the Diocese of Norwich regarding where sacramental marriages may
be celebrated, you may be married at the Cathedral if you are a registered
member of the Cathedral or have the consent of your home parish.
You must
schedule your marriage at least a year in advance of the proposed date. Because of Cathedral needs, some
weekend dates are not available.
The following times are available for weddings:
á
Weekdays
at any time, if there is no parish Mass scheduled.
á
Saturdays
at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m.
Marriages may
not be scheduled on major holy days, particularly on Christmas or Easter, or
during Holy Week.
Weddings are
expected to begin at their scheduled times. Two weddings may be scheduled for the same day and each
wedding is allotted one and one-half hours for completion. If your wedding is scheduled for 12:00
noon the church should be clear and ready for the next wedding at 1:30 p.m. This
allows the next wedding to start at its designated time. Please allow sufficient time to Òget to
the church on time.Ó Norwich
traffic is always problematic so please remind your limousine driver,
photographer, guests, and members of the wedding party to allow plenty of time
to travel to Norwich.
Planning the Ceremony
Use of the
services of the Cathedral Wedding Coordinator is mandatory for couples being married at St. Patrick
Cathedral. The wedding coordinator
will assist you in planning the wedding liturgy. Normal items used for the wedding liturgy are provided by
the church, but items such as floral decorations and aisle runners are not
provided. The wedding coordinator
will provide you detailed guidelines on these types of issues, including the use
of pew bows, the length of the center aisle, etc.
The use of any
type of alcoholic beverage in or near the Cathedral is inappropriate and is not
permitted.
For safety
reasons, we cannot allow rice, confetti, bird seed, flower petals, potpourri,
pennies, etc. to be thrown inside or outside the Cathedral.
No one is
permitted in the Sanctuary of the Cathedral other than the Bride, Groom, Best
Man, Maid of Honor and the Celebrant.
Readers are allowed to go to the pulpit for readings and will then
return to their seats.
Photographers, videographers and bridal party members are NOT permitted
in the Sanctuary.
Above all,
remember that the Cathedral is a place of worship. We ask that you respect its sacred space.
Wedding Music Guidelines
To make
arrangements for your wedding music, please contact the Cathedral Organist and
Director of Music, Mr. Douglas Green at 860.886.0403 or DGreen860@aol.com.
A consultation will be arranged for you to come to the Cathedral where
you will listen to and discuss the musical options available for your
wedding. Please keep in mind that
your wedding is a religious ceremony and only music of a sacred nature will be
allowed. Secular (non-religious)
music can be very meaningful and should be heard at the reception, not in the
Cathedral. The music for your
wedding liturgy should focus on the worship of God and the spirituality of the
sacrament of marriage.
In addition to
the organ, a vocalist and/or other instrumentalists (trumpet, timpani, violin,
flute, etc.) can greatly enhance your wedding celebration. Mr. Green works with many professional
musicians and can advise you on the best choice for your wedding. Friend, family member or other
non-professional may not be the best choice. It is customary that vocalists sing all the Mass
acclamations in addition to any special solos. This may be too much for a non-professional to handle. Please consult with Mr. Green before
engaging your own vocalist and/or instrumentalists.
Mr. Green is the
organists for all Cathedral weddings.
If you wish to use another organist for your wedding, you may do
so. However, you must still pay
the Cathedral organistÕs fee (this is known as a Òbench feeÓ) in addition to
what you may be paying your own organist.
This policy is in accordance with guidelines set forth by the American
Guild of Organists.
The playing of
audio tapes and CDs are not allowed during the wedding liturgy.
Payment for the
organist, vocalist and instrumentalist(s) is due no later than the day of your
wedding rehearsal.
Photography/Videography
Professional
photographers should be as inconspicuous as possible throughout the
ceremony. Videotaping that
requires additional lighting or wiring is not permitted. In most cases, the ordinary light of the
Cathedral should suffice.
Photographers using extra lighting will be asked to remove the
equipment. Photographers are not
allowed in the sanctuary behind the altar.
No
photographers, professional or amateur, will be permitted to interrupt or delay
any part of the ceremony, nor will they be allowed to delay preparations of a
subsequent ceremony. Photographers
are asked to see the wedding coordinator before the wedding for instructions.
Floral Displays
Floral
arrangements and other appointments must work around the furnishings of the
Cathedral. Church furnishings and
liturgical decorations are not to be moved. All arrangements for your marriage ceremony must be set
before your ceremony. Such
arrangements might include bouquets of flowers, bows for center aisle benches,
a runner for the processions, a ÒUnity CandleÓ on the altar (all provided by
you). Torches are not allowed.
Directions and Maps
A map with
detailed directions to the Cathedral has been included in the wedding
packet. Directions may also be
obtained from our website: http://www.stpatsnorwich.org/directions.html
Parking
Parking is
available in the front and rear of the Cathedral. Please inform your guests.
Rehearsal
Couples should
come prepared and on time for the marriage rehearsal, bringing along the
readers, gift-bearers, ushers, and anyone else involved in the marriage
ceremony. Additionally, the
marriage license obtained in the state of Connecticut (within 65 days of the
wedding) must also be brought to the rehearsal. You may bring the programs, unity candle or other items for
the ceremony as well, and we will lock these items in the safe overnight.
Rehearsals are
usually scheduled the Thursday or Friday before the wedding date at 5:00 p.m.
or 6:00 p.m. You should make
arrangements for the rehearsal time with the wedding coordinator. The time is booked in the order
received. The wedding coordinator
will conduct the rehearsal for your wedding party. It is best if all members of your wedding party attend so
that everyone will be comfortable with their roles. Make sure to bring your civil marriage license with you to
the rehearsal, as well as all fees.
Marriage Preparation
All Roman
Catholics bring married in the Cathedral are required to follow the regulations
of the Diocese of Norwich regarding marriage. Like the other sacraments of the Church, marriage required
special preparation. The following
is required:
á
You
must schedule your marriage at least one year in advance of the proposed date.
á
You
may arrange for a priest or deacon to preside at your marriage. If he is not from the Diocese of
Norwich, he will need a letter of suitability from his Diocese.
á
Contact
the parish of the bride (or the parish of the groom if the bride is not Roman
Catholic) and obtain permission for the wedding to take place at the Cathedral
if you are not a registered member of the Cathedral.
á
Complete
all documents required for a Roman Catholic marriage. This is to be done with the assistance of the priest or
deacon who is to officiate at your wedding. All these documents (see page 5) must be submitted to our
office at least six months before the scheduled date of your marriage.
á
Complete
a marriage preparation program (e.g., Pre-Cana Conference, Pre-Marriage
Preparation, Engaged Encounter, Day for the Engaged, etc.) You may choose to attend any authorized
program in another city or Diocese according to your convenience. Regardless of what option you choose,
you must obtain a certificate of participation and send it to the
Cathedral. The Cathedral offers a
Marriage Preparation Day, usually in March.
Documents
The Diocese of
Norwich requires certain documents to be produced in order to have a Roman
Catholic marriage. You are
responsible for obtaining these documents, listed below. Each, with the exception of the civil
marriage license, must be completed and returned to the Cathedral at least two
months before the scheduled date of the ceremony. The receipt of these documents is the only way we can be
sure that the marriage can be performed.
á
An
updated Baptismal Certificate for both the bride and the groom. This certificate must be secured not
more than six months prior to the wedding and can be obtained by calling
or writing the parish of your baptism.
It must be stamped with the seal of the parish and dated within six
months of the wedding. If you are
a baptized non-Catholic and a certificate can be obtained, please do so.
á
Catholics
must obtain First Communion and Confirmation data, from the parish where the
sacraments were celebrated, showing the date of the reception of these
sacraments. This info must be on
Church stationery and stamped with the seal of the parish.
á
If
there has been a previous marriage, a death certificate or a ÒDeclaration of
NullityÓ must be obtained.
á
A
letter from the brideÕs pastor (or, if the bride is not Roman Catholic, from
the groomÕs pastor) giving permission for the wedding to take place at the
Cathedral. This is not necessary
if you are a member of St. PatrickÕs Cathedral.
á
A
civil marriage license, which should be brought to the rehearsal. The marriage license must be obtained
in the State of Connecticut within 65 days of the marriage.
á
A
completed Pre-Nuptial Investigation form.
This is to be completed two months before the wedding. You will be contacted for an
appointment.
á
A
certificate, or its copy, stating that you both have attended a marriage
preparation program. Participation
in such a program is required.
Officiating Priest or Deacon
We strongly
recommend that you contact your pastor, or the priest or deacon who is to
officiate at your wedding, as soon as possible to discuss with him your plans
for marriage. Each marriage is
unique. In case of a planned
marriage of mixed religion, the Cathedral priest will obtain and complete a
dispensation form.
The priest or
deacon should attend the wedding rehearsal. The Cathedral Wedding coordinator will conduct the
rehearsal, the presence of the officiant helps to ensure a trouble-free
ceremony at the actual wedding.
Fees
Fees for
services such as wedding coordination, musicians and soloists are for time
spent to enhance your wedding experience.
The remembrance for Altar Servers (full Mass only) is a courtesy to
express appreciation for the young people who give of their time to serve the
Priest at your wedding Mass. The
Cathedral fee is SOLELY to cover the costs of lighting, air conditioning/heat,
cleaning, etc. If you bring a
visiting Priest to the Cathedral, it is customary to give a monetary token of
appreciation. If you wish to give
a monetary offering to the Cathedral Priest, you may do so. All fees and the marriage license must
be brought to the rehearsal unless they have been previously submitted to the
rectory.
Visiting Priests
Couples being
married at the Cathedral are welcome to arrange for a Priest from their home
parish or family to marry them.
However, such arrangements must be made through the Cathedral Rectory
and a letter of suitability from his diocese must be sent to the Rectory before
a visiting Priest will be allowed to perform the nuptial ceremony.
After the Ceremony
Catholic
marriages, duly recorded with all pertinent documents, will be formally
registered at the Cathedral. In
the future, if you should require any documentation regarding your wedding,
please contact the parish directly.
If you need a copy of your wedding license, you must contact the town
hall.
May
God keep you in love with each other,
So
that the peace of Christ may stay with
You
and be always in your home.
May
the LordÕs fullest blessing come upon
You,
so that you may together rejoice.
DIRECTIONS TO THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH
CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PATRICK
213 Broadway
Norwich, CT 06360
860.889.8441