Sacrament of Matrimony

The liturgy of the Sacrament of Marriage in the Church is full of beautiful symbols and blessings. Discerning this sacrament as a divine calling for you is more crucial than one’s consideration of many well-known social benefits of marriage. The Church believes and teaches marriage as “a special sacrament” for “the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity” [1] and “mutual help and service” between a baptized man and a baptized woman in the unique, life-long partnership of total and mutual self-giving love. Marriage and married love are by their nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, so that a man and a woman by their union in Christ are “no longer two, but one flesh” (Matt. 19ff).[2]
[1] Liturgy of the Sacrament of Marriage.
[2] Gaudium et Spes, 48.

 

Please see the Guidelines below

Frequently Asked Questions

Congratulations! The first step is to contact your local Catholic parish. If both of you are Catholic, you may contact either one of your parish priests. Your pastor will schedule a series of interviews with you and your fiancé in order to prepare you pastorally for marriage.

Yes, it is a requirement, if you live in Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall and you’re planning to get married.

To maintain consistency across the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall, it is a policy that no Eucharist be celebrated for marriages between a Catholic and a non-baptized person. The celebration of the Eucharist at marriages between a Catholic and a validly baptized non-Catholic is discouraged, but is at the pastoral discretion of the priest celebrating the wedding, bearing in mind the problem of living out disunity at Communion time.

Yes, and you must consult your priest for the arrangement.

Yes. There are many beautiful passages and themes from the list of the readings for the couple to consider together. Their priest will be able to help them find appropriate readings.

No. There are many places for creative choice in the ceremony, but the content of the vows is for the validity of the act of entering marriage and therefore we ask that the given formula be carefully observed.

“The rite of marriage belongs to the Church, so the Church regulates its celebration.”[1] In planning your wedding, you must consult the Pastor and the existing policy about music and the securing of musicians on your music selection. The Church has a rich repertoire of beautiful and suitable music and hymns. We are confident that with your Pastor’s help, you will find meaningful pieces of music for such a sacred event as your wedding celebration.

Yes, it is normally true at many Catholic weddings. But culture and family are very much part of the discussion in terms of the details of the celebration. Your priest will be able to speak to your particular situation.

The procedure to get married in a Catholic Church in another country or Diocese is similar to getting married locally. Please contact your local Pastor who will prepare you for marriage and instruct you to take the Marriage Preparation Course. The Marriage documents are then ‘transferred’ to the Parish of marriage in the other country via the Chancery offices of the respective Dioceses involved or by being handed back to you to send to the Diocese which you will be married in, months in advance of your wedding.

A parish church is the ordinary place for the celebration of a marriage involving two Catholics or a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic. Since the marriage of two baptized persons is a sacrament, it is not merely a private or familial celebration but also an ecclesial event. The spouses declare their consent before God and the Church and live out that commitment in and with the support of the local ecclesial community. Therefore, this celebration should take place in the parish church. Exceptions are only made when there is a grave and urgent cause such as illness or danger of death.


Canon 1127 §3 of the Code of Canon Law forbids a double celebration of the same marriage for the purpose of giving or renewing matrimonial consent. The Catholic Church could arrange to recognize the non-Catholic ceremony as sufficient. Talk with your priest first.


We cannot guarantee that a Catholic priest can officiate your wedding. Generally speaking, betrothed couples are advised to make arrangement with their local Pastor at least one year before their tentatively planned date of marriage. If either of you were previously married in the Catholic Church, then you must consult the Marriage Tribunal about your situation: the Church maintains that the new union cannot be recognized as valid if the first marriage is valid. In addition, a special Second Marriage Preparation Course by Catholic Family Services of Ottawa is mandatory.

A couple must be married by Marriage Licence. Given the transient nature of our Archdiocese, it is our policy to not publish Banns.

According to the particular law of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall, weddings in the Catholic Church are not allowed to be celebrated on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation (January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ).

[1] Marriage, Ritual and Pastoral Notes (CCCB), no. 21, p.18.

Resources

To learn more about the Sacrament of Matrimony, these resources may help:

© Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto – used with permission

 

Guidelines at St. Peter Celestine Parish

  1. Contact the office 613-256-3441 at least nine [9] months in advance of the chosen date;
  2. You will require all the necessary/appropriate paperwork and documents which will form part of your wedding file;
  3. The wedding fee is $600.

The Wedding Ceremony

You have chosen to exchange your marriage vows to one another and before God in a Catholic Church. This is a joyous occasion but you must be mindful of the sacred nature of the church and the wedding ceremony itself where you will be making a life-long commitment to another before God, family and friends. We ask that reverence, respect and decorum be observed at all times.

  • Readings: A booklet will be provided with scripture readings and Prayers of the Faithful. Non-scriptural readings, song verses, or poems are not permitted.
  • Music: As this will be a Catholic wedding ceremony, suitable liturgical music selections [prior to and during the ceremony] should be chosen – see samples below. Secular music, songs or recorded music are not permitted. All music must be approved prior to the ceremony.
  • Flowers: Provided by the Church. Given the beauty of the interior of the church, floral arrangements will be at a minimum.
  • Photographers & Videographers: Will need to consult with the officiating priest/deacon. Photographers will not be permitted in the sanctuary area [unless approved by the officiating priest/deacon].
  • Wheelchair & Disability Access: There is a handicap lift from the parking lot to the church.
  • Confetti, rose petals etc. are not permitted.

Wedding Music