• The Marriage Preparation Process

  1. THE INITIAL INTERVIEW

  We need at least nine months time to prepare for your marriage. If you are newcomers to the Parish, you are encouraged to be registered and active members of the Parish. The parish secretary will meet with you to assist you in completing the initial prenuptial questionnaire of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and set up the file for your marriage records. Before the initial interview or during the six-month preparation you are asked to attend the Engaged Couple’s Orientation meeting.
  

  2. ENGAGED COUPLE’S PROCESS

  This sacramental preparation is available to all those planning a wedding. We will explore the ceremony itself and offer information including: our guidelines, appropriate musical choices, and various options to choose that are appropriate to the theology of marriage and the celebration. The deacon, priest and the director of music will be there to discuss all aspects of the liturgy with you. Questions are welcome and encouraged! The first step in helping you prepare for your marriage is an extended discussion of the different facets of marriage, the many areas of joy and challenge that you can expect.
  

  3. MEETING WITH PRIEST -FINALIZING YOUR DATE

  The Priest or Deacon will enter the date and time of your marriage into our wedding calendar.
  
  (Weddings are discouraged during the penitential season of Lent.)

  
  Your date will be finalized when:

  *You have attended the Engaged Encounter or proper classes for your situation

  * You have paid the donation fee for the use of the Church, the alter flowers and the reception hall (if requested)

  
  If you need to change your plans and the tentative date after the interview, please contact the parish office as soon as possible so that your time slot may become available for someone else.

  OFFICIAL RECORDS: Certain documents are necessary for permanent filing here in the Parish.

  1. Baptismal Certificate A recently issued (within 6 months) baptismal certificate (not the original) is required. A letter or phone call to the Church of your baptism should get you a copy. If you are not confirmed, we strongly urge you to be confirmed before your marriage however, you can still be married if not yet confirmed.

  2. Affidavits of Freedom to Marry You will be asked to name two people who know you well and would be willing to testify that you are free to marry. The priest or Deacon will take this testimony under oath. The people you choose can be parents, other relatives, or friends who know you well.

  3. Marriage License You have the obligation of obtaining a marriage license from a county courthouse in the State of Texas. Please phone the courthouse to find out what the fee may be, the method of payment, and what documentation you may need. Note: The license is only valid for thirty days, but you cannot use it until 72 hours after purchasing it. Be sure to make note of county and state holidays.

  It is best to obtain the license at least four days before your wedding. Bring it to the Church rehearsal and deliver it to the presiding priest or Deacon for recording purposes. The presiding priest or Deacon will sign it. After your wedding the Church will record your information in the Sacramental register of the Parish and mail the license back to the Harris County Clerk’s office for you. The clerk will record the information in the public records of the county and return a certified copy to you. (Usually within 6 weeks after the wedding).

  Other Documents. If other documents are needed, in particular cases, the priest or Deacon will ask for them.

  4. ENGAGED ENCOUNTER/SPONSOR COUPLE

  You will have the option to participate in either of these two programs:

  1. Engaged Encounter or New Life: a weekend experience where couples planning marriage have time together to concentrate on each other, free of the tensions, pressures, and interruptions of daily life. It is designed to give couples an opportunity to dialogue honestly and intensively about their future life together. You will be given a schedule of when and where this program is offered. It will be your responsibility to make the reservations to attend. You must let the priest or Deacon know you plan to attend and he must sign your registration form.
  

  2. Sponsor Couple Sessions: an opportunity to prepare for your marriage by meeting with trained married couples for 5 sessions in their home. You will receive the book For Better & For Ever by Robert Ruhnke which will be used as a basis for these sessions. Due to the limited capacity of the Engaged Encounter weekend most of our couples prepare in this process.

  The goal of the Sponsor Couple program is to provide a couple-to-couple approach to marriage preparation. The same way that an older more experienced employee becomes a mentor to a new employee, the sponsor couple becomes a mentor for the engaged couple. The engaged couple preparing for marriage meets with the sponsor couple at a mutually agreeable time for a series of five evenings in the home of the sponsor couple. During these evenings through a loosely structured program, the sponsor couple can share, encourage, guide and support the engaged couple in their quest for a Christian marriage. Topics discussed include family of origin, traditions, money management, sexuality and intimacy, the place of prayer in a Christian marriage, the spirituality of marriage, God’s relationship in your marriage, essentials of a Christian marriage and others.