St. Thomas the Apostle Parish extends our congratulations on your engagement. We are blessed to have the opportunity to assist you during this sacred time of your life as you prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
Undoubtedly, you have many questions concerning your wedding arrangements. We know that both of you will take an active part in planning the liturgy of your wedding ceremony. Even more important than the preparations for your wedding day, are the preparations for your marriage. Your wedding day is precisely that – a day; your marriage, however, is a lifetime! When you commit yourselves to each other in Christian Marriage, in accordance with the laws of the Church, you administer a sacrament to each other. Marriage enables you to be a source of Divine Love, flowing from your love for each other and into the lives of your family. The sacred words and gestures of your wedding are the beginning of a great ministry of life-giving love, based on the Gospel, and dependent on the power of God’s grace at work within you to live your Sacrament always.
May this time of preparation for marriage be one of deepening love and understanding in your relationship with each other and with God. It is our hope that the following information will be helpful in preparing for the celebration of your life together in Christ.
All couples wishing to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia must be registered in the parish and begin the marriage preparations at least 6 months prior to the wedding date. Please complete the Marriage Registration Form by clicking here, and a member of the Parish Staff will contact you once it has been received and reviewed. A date for your wedding will be discussed only after the form has been completed.
The following applies to all weddings after January 1, 2022
Church and Civil Requirements
Baptismal Certificates: [dated no more than six (6) months prior to wedding]: If you are a baptized Catholic, you should contact the parish where you were baptized and ask for a certification of your Baptism that is dated no more than six months before your planned wedding. That parish will be familiar with this sort of request and should be able to send you the document within a couple of days. When you receive the certification, forward it promptly to the priest who is preparing you for your wedding.
Pre-Cana Program: In addition to your preparation with the priest, the Archdiocese requires all couples preparing for marriage to attend a Pre-Cana preparation program. There are a variety of programs available, including several programs offered through the Archdiocesan Family Life Office (www.archphila.org), e.g., Pre-Cana, Engaged Encounter. Presently, STA does not offer a parish-based preparation program. The priest who is preparing you will provide you with information regarding these approved programs. You must make your own arrangements to participate in one of these programs. You are welcome to attend sessions most convenient to your schedules. Please give a copy of the Pre-Cana certificate to the priest handling your marriage preparation.
Witness Testimony: As part of the preparation process, the priest will ask you to provide two written declarations by two different witnesses that you are free to marry your intended spouse. The priest will give you forms to use for this purpose. The witnesses should be members of your immediate family or other persons who have known you well through your adult years. The witnesses need not be Catholic. The declaration is signed by the witness and needs to be attested to by a Catholic priest/deacon at any convenient rectory location. Note the inter-diocesan procedure on the bottom of the Form, if that applies.
Fully Engaged Inventory is a Catholic catechetical premarital inventory designed to help engaged couples solidify the foundation upon which they, together with Christ, will build their Sacrament of Marriage. Grounded in Church teaching and loaded with catechetical content, this dynamic premarital inventory is a trustworthy guide that meets the real challenges today’s couples face. Fully Engaged helps couples to grow in their Catholic identity by smoothly integrating Church teaching into its materials.
Pre-Nuptial Investigation: The Pre-Nuptial investigation is completed by the priest or deacon preparing you for marriage. It consists of an interview and the obtaining of “witness testimony” by someone who can testify to your readiness to enter into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. The Catholic Church law has requirements that must be met before any wedding is valid and lawful. These requirements are designed to protect the high value that the Church has for Christian marriage. During the face-to-face interview as a couple with the priest, you will get to know him, and vice versa as well as review all the preparatory details for a Catholic wedding.
Dispensations: If a couple who desires a Catholic marriage cannot meet any one of Church Law requirements, the couple may have to obtain a dispensation, or exception to the requirements. For instance, if a Catholic wishes to marry a person of another faith, the Catholic must request a dispensation from the local bishop. As part of the request, the Catholic party to such a marriage reaffirms his/her commitment to the Catholic faith and his/her intention to remain in that faith and promises to do what he/she can short of causing harm to the marriage relationship to raise any children of the marriage as members of the Catholic community. The priest who is preparing you for your wedding will determine whether you need any dispensation and, if so, will help you request it. If you need a dispensation, you must obtain the dispensation before your wedding can take place.
If you were married previously, a Declaration of Nullity must be provided at the time of your inquiry in order to demonstrate that you are now free to re-marry in the Catholic Church. This applies to all forms of previous marriage, whether by a judge, by a religious leader in another faith tradition, or common law.
Marriage License: It is your responsibility to obtain the civil license no more than two months (60 days) before your wedding date. Please give the marriage license to the Priest or deacon as soon as you obtain it for safekeeping. The parish will submit the license to the State in accordance with State law. A duplicate of the signed document will be given to you after the wedding.
Wedding Times
Ordinarily there is only one wedding scheduled per weekend: Friday at 5:00 PM or Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Saturday confessions begin at 4:00 PM, so all wedding-related activities are expected to be completed by that time.
Wedding Rehearsals
One half hours is the usual time for a rehearsal. Please arrive at least five minutes early. Before you come to the rehearsal know the order of your bridesmaids, ushers, readers and all other considerations.