Mass_Wedding.htm

Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. These ceremonies may be either Nuptial Masses or simply the Rite of Marriage outside of Mass.

The ordinary place in which all sacraments are celebrated is in the parish church. Wedding ceremonies in parks, gardens, homes or other secular places are not permitted in the Diocese of Charlotte.

The Church recommends that a couple should make no arrangements regarding the wedding ceremony, the reception or related matters until their readiness to marry has been determined the couple's pastor.

Click Here For Wedding Guidelines

Catholics are obligated to marry according to the law of the Church. The first step is to obtain your baptism certificate and meet with a priest or deacon of your parish. Parishioners of St. Patrick's may call upon either Fr. Paul Gary, Fr. Robert Conway, or Deacon Carlos Medina to assist them in their sacramental preparation. It is suggested that they contact the parish nine to twelve months prior to the desired date of wedding.

When the couple has completed the initial interview with the parish priest or deacon, a decision can then be made whether or not to proceed or to delay the celebration of the sacrament. If the couple is free to marry, they will be directed to call the church office to arrange the wedding date and time.

Please note that those who have been married previously must obtain a declaration of nullity from the Catholic Church or provide a certified death certificate. This rule applies even for non-Catholics.

If a couple is seeking to have their civil marriage blessed by the Catholic Church, the diocese requires that one year should elapse between the time of the civil marriage and its convalidation.

The couple will then proceed with a program of instruction. This includes a recent baptism certificate, Form A (prenuptial investigation), Form B (affidavit regarding the free status of the bride and groom completed by the parents, decree of annulment (if necessary), death certificate of previous spouse (if necessary) and completion of the program of instruction:

Completion by the couple of the approved programs of instruction is strongly encouraged three months prior to the proposed wedding date. A three-month period will allow the couple to make all detailed liturgical plans for the wedding ceremony, reception plans and any other arrangements.

Please refer to the wedding guidelines of the cathedral for further assistance. These guidelines will be provided upon reserving your wedding date.

FOR NON-PARISHIONERS...

Those who are parishioners of other Catholic parishes are welcome to celebrate their weddings at the cathedral. Since parishioners are normally married by a priest or deacon of their own parish, they should first contact their own clergy to announce their engagement and begin the program of instruction.