Marriage

Marriage Preparation

Congratulations on your engagement! We look forward to celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage with you. Please review our wedding policy before contacting the parish office to set a wedding date. Wedding dates are reserved by calling the parish office at 363-7505, ext. 100 and secured with a $125 non-refundable deposit.

Once a wedding date has been set, you will register for a preliminary marriage session, which is held at 10 am on the second Saturday of the month in the parish meeting room. During this session, you will meet with the Pastor and Director of Liturgy & Music and complete a premarital inventory.

A minimum of six months is needed for marriage preparation. During this time, you will need to attend a diocesan weekend retreat. You will meet with the Director of Liturgy & Music as well as your assigned Sponsor Couple and Wedding Coordinator. The Director of Liturgy & Music will help you select appropriate music. The sponsor couple, during a series of meetings, will review with you the results of the premarital inventory. The wedding coordinator will assist you in planning the details of your wedding ceremony.

The Rite of Marriage in the Catholic Church states that the bride and groom are the ministers of the wedding liturgy. Our pastor, parish staff, sponsor couple, and wedding coordinator look forward to assisting you in preparing for not only your wedding ceremony, but for a marriage that will last a lifetime.

Preliminary Marriage Sessions

2020

April 11
May 9
June 13
July 11
August 8
September 12
October 10
November 14
December 12

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Wedding Policy
For those with parish affiliation:
We look forward to celebrating the wedding of all parishioners who have been registered and active parishioners for at least six months before setting their wedding date. We also welcome the children of our long-time registered and active parishioners. Weddings generally take place at 2 pm on a Saturday. Occasionally, Friday afternoon or evening weddings may be scheduled. Only one wedding takes place on a weekend. The total wedding fee is $575, of which $125 is a non-refundable deposit to secure the wedding date. The remaining $450 is due at the time of your final meeting with the pastor, which usually occurs about 4–6 weeks before the wedding date.

For those with no parish affiliation:
We receive numerous requests from couples who have no affiliation with the Church of Saint Joseph, but wish to celebrate their wedding in our church. Unfortunately, we have neither the staff nor the space to accommodate all those wishing to be married in our church. It is only fair and just that available dates for weddings are reserved for registered, active parishioners. If you choose to become a member, you will need to be a registered active parishioner for at least six months prior to setting your wedding date and we ask that you do not register for the parish solely to have your wedding at the Church of Saint Joseph. The expectations of a registered active parishioner are as follows:

register in the parish;
attend Mass regularly;
participate in parish activities and educational opportunities;
practice good stewardship by volunteering a portion of your time and talent. For example, be a lector at Mass, a catechist for faith formation, serve on a committee, or help with the annual parish festival;
share fairly in the cost of operating our parish by returning a percentage of your material blessings. In other words, monetarily contribute your fair share to the Church of Saint Joseph.

For those who have been previously married:
If you have been previously married, your annulment must be completed prior to setting a wedding date.

Church of Saint Joseph, 12 West Minnesota St. St. Joseph MN 56374

Phone: 320-363-7505