Marriage
Marriage is an intimate relationship of life and love. In order to assist you effectively and fulfill our pastoral responsibility towards you, time must be made to consider certain convictions. As a faith community we have strong uncompromising commitment to permanence in marriage, total giving of self to the other, exclusive fidelity and openness to life.
Engaged couples are required to receive a sacramental preparation comprising both formational and instructional sessions. Ideally, programs of pastoral preparation should begin at least one year before the marriage date.
Preparing for Marriage
Sacrament of Reconciliation
We encourage reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of your marriage preparation to benefit more fully from the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage.
Time and Place of the Wedding
Dates and hours are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. The wedding ceremony is to be held in the parish church. Weddings are conducted in the church on Thursdays or Fridays at 1pm or 3pm.
Wedding with or without a Mass?
While couples are encouraged to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage within a Mass, it is also possible to have a ceremony outside of Mass.
Music at Your Wedding
Since the Church does not provide music, you are welcome to bring guest musicians to play at your wedding. Local musicians are also available.
Civil License
You must be a resident in the islands for 48 hours before applying for a marriage license. The cost of the civil license and documentation is $200.
Donations
The offering to the parish (Our Lady of Divine Providence Church) is $2,000. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to set the date in the parish calendar.
References
- Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1601: “The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.”
- Canon Law 1055 – Title VII: “The essential properties of marriage are unity and indissolubility; in Christian marriage they acquire a distinctive firmness by reason of the sacrament.”