Matrimony

Matrimony

Celebrating Marriage at St. Michael’s Parish

Weddings are special and joyful times for brides and grooms, for their families and friends and for the parish community. The new beginning, the love, the promise and hope that weddings are for us, make of their celebration a special and grace-filled time in our lives. The church welcomes its members to celebrate and solemnize their weddings in the context of our prayer as Christians. Indeed, so important is marriage in Christian life that it is called a Sacrament. Great care is taken to see that the prayer for this special moment is reverent, graceful, beautiful and open to the movement of God’s spirit among us. Our celebrations of the sacraments, marriage included, are always rooted in listening to the scriptures so that we can be nourished and strengthened by God’s word.

Always we celebrate the sacraments as a community. We gather our brothers and sisters in faith and ask for their prayerful support. These celebrations are incomplete unless they are filled with song, with prayerful gestures and with the silence in which we hear the voice of God in our lives. In this spirit, St. Michael’s parish provides the following guidelines for celebrating weddings in the building which shelters the prayer of our community.


Who may marry in our parish church?

Members of our parish may celebrate their weddings at St. Michael’s Church. Marriage is to be celebrated in the parish where either party resides. According to the Code of Canon Law, marriage can be celebrated in a parish other than the parish of residence with the permission of either the Bishop or your Pastor (Canon 1115). In the case of two Catholics, the customary parish is that of the bride. In the case of an inter-religious marriage (Catholic and non-Catholic) the parish is that of the Catholic party.


Setting the date of the wedding

In the Diocese of San Diego, couples are expected to contact the parish at least nine months in advance of the date on which they hope to celebrate their wedding. Only a priest or deacon may book a tentative wedding date. The date becomes final once a priest has agreed on the date with you, after the required preparation has been completed in a timely manner and after all necessary documents have been delivered. We discourage repeated changes in time and date once a wedding has been placed on the calendar. A wedding is entered on three calendars and confusion can result. St. Michael’s reserves the right to cancel your tentative reservation after notifying you that you are not making sufficient progress in your preparations.


Scheduling The Time of The Celebration And Rehearsal

St. Michael’s has two times per week available for wedding celebrations: Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

There are some times in the church year when the liturgical calendar discourages the celebration of weddings. For example, the season of Lent is a time of penance in the life of the community and that spirit touches and colors all parish liturgies between Ash Wednesday and Easter. The Wedding Coordinator working with a couple whose request is in conflict with the liturgical calendar will notify the couple immediately so that other arrangements may be made.

Contact Information

Parish Office
stmikes@smpoway.org
(858) 487-4755