We are glad you are interested in getting married in the Catholic Church and want to help you grow in your Catholic faith. We offer a special welcome to those who have been away from the Church and the sacraments as we are glad that you are considering returning to a practice of your faith.
The most important 1st step of seeking the sacrament of marriage is to be an active practicing Catholic-registered as a member in a parish, and going to Mass each weekend.
OPTION A: For those who have not been attending Mass weekly, we suggest "dating" the Catholic Church again for at least 3 months (like you dated each other) to get acquainted with the Mass and the teaching of the Catholic Church. It is also helpful to join a parish ministry to meet other people. Also introduce yourself to the pastor each week for him to get to know you. Unless you are still living at home with your parents and/or under 21, please register in our parish as an adult by filling out a PARISH REGISTRATION FORM. If you are not living in St. Clare parish please provide a letter from your pastor where you are registered and attending weekly. After getting reaquainted with and ready to commit to your faith and met the pastor after Mass a few times, please call the parish office for the Marriage Request form.
OPTION B: If you are already a practicing Catholic here at St. Clare on a weekly basis please call our office to set up an appointment and fill out the Marriage Request form. If you are a practicing Catholic at another parish, please have the pastor send a letter verifying you are registered and active in the parish.
Parishioners who have participated in the parish’s marriage preparation process are welcome to celebrate this sacrament at St. Clare Parish. Couples should contact the deacon or pastor at least a year before their desired wedding date to make arrangements. Weddings outside of Mass are usually done by a deacon.
Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage begins 9-12 months before your anticipated wedding day. There are many factors that can slow down the process, so it is important to begin right away. You must be registered with St. Clare for at least three months prior to beginning preparation.
All individuals (Catholic, non-Catholic, unbaptized) who have been previously married and divorced and who wish to marry in the Catholic Church, need to have their previous marriage(s) declared invalid through the annulment process by the Diocesan Tribunal before marrying again. You may petition for an annulment without having any marriage plans. Annulments are to be completed before beginning the marriage preparation process.
PLEASE READ "Planning the Liturgy" FOR MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS
including time of wedding, decorations, music, and stipends:
PLANNING THE LITURGY
Couples must participate in a Natural Family Planning Class, which can done either with the accredited instructors or with accredited online program.
To register for Natural Family Planning please go to the Couple to Couple League website at:
Natural family planning (NFP) is fertility awareness, which is simply knowledge of a couple’s fertility. It is a means of reading the body’s signs of fertility and infertility; applying this knowledge through the Sympto-Thermal Method (STM) is over 99% effective in postponing pregnancy. A married couple’s virtuous application of this knowledge either to try to achieve a pregnancy or to postpone a pregnancy is called responsible parenthood.
Practicing NFP is 100% natural — there are no drugs, chemicals or devices involved, which is one reason many today find it to be a positive and refreshing alternative to contraceptive methods.
CONTACT LITURGY AND MUSIC DIRECTOR
You will need to contact Stephen Eros to help plan your Wedding Liturgy and Music. Go to the Wedding Planning Page for more details: WEDDING LITURGY AND MUSIC PLANNING PAGE
MARRIAGE LICENSE: To be obtained from the County Clerks office at least 60 days prior to the liturgy. You must bring your marriage license to the wedding rehearsal. https://www.co.st-clair.il.us/get-married