SACRAMENT OF Marriage
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"Among the many blessings that God has showered upon us in Christ is the blessing of marriage, a gift bestowed by the Creator from the creation of the human race…It is a source of blessing to the couple, to their families, and to society and includes the wondrous gift of co-creating human life. Indeed, as Pope John Paul II never tired of reminding us, the future of humanity depends on marriage and the family."
– U.S. Catholic Bishops, 2009 Pastoral Letter: Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan
For the information below, one section is for locals and the other is for overseas destination weddings.
LOCAL PARISHIONERS
REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRIAGE AT ST. IGNATIUS CHURCH
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! This outlines the requirements for a wedding at St. Ignatius Parish. If a date has not been set yet, and if you agree to all these requirements, you must contact the Pastor/Parish Administrator personally to set a date for your wedding.
As you know, some things must be in place before a wedding can be celebrated at St. Ignatius Parish. This letter outlines your options, depending on your current situation, and the steps you need to take.
1. You need to meet with the Pastor/Parish Administrator and fulfill the necessary requirements of the church 6 months ahead of the marriage date.
Requirements:
• Pre-Marriage file filled out and signed (Parish Priest will fill out the Pre-Marriage questionnaire with you and your fiancé and will be sent to the Archdiocese of Detroit for permission and dispensation needed.
• Certificate of Pre-Cana/Pre-Marriage Course
• Updated baptismal record dated within 6 months for Catholics; Copy of Baptismal Certificate for Non-Catholics, copy of Birth Certificate for Non-Christians.
• Certificate of Confirmation for Catholics
2. Please have the Pastor/Parish Administrator help you with planning the Wedding Ceremony. The Parish uses “Together for Life” by Joseph Chaplin to help you choose your readings and prayers, the consent you will use, and other aspects of the ceremony. Please send this at least a month before the wedding. You must choose readers for the first and second readings.
3. There is no specified fee for the use of the church for the wedding ceremony. However, a donation is greatly appreciated.
4. Music has to be arranged with the Music Coordinator of the parish, and a stipend is paid directly to him/her.
5. All video cameras must be on a tripod and cannot move throughout the ceremony. No person taking pictures or videos is allowed in the Sanctuary. Pictures are limited to a maximum of 30 minutes in the church immediately following the wedding ceremony.
6. Finally, any flower arrangements that are delivered and used in the wedding ceremony are to remain in the sanctuary and not to be taken out of the church for the reception after the ceremony.
OVERSEAS CATHOLICS / DESTINATION WEDDINGS
REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRIAGE AT ST. IGNATIUS CHURCH
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! This provides the requirements for a wedding to be celebrated at St. Ignatius Parish. If you have not yet set a date and agree to all these requirements, you must contact the Pastor/Parish Administrator of St. Ignatius Parish to set a date for your wedding.
As you know, some things must be in place before a wedding can be celebrated at St. Ignatius Parish. This letter outlines your options, depending on your current situation, and the steps you need to take.
1. You need to meet with your Pastor and fulfill the necessary requirements of the Diocese where you live. Before a date can be set for your wedding here at the church, you must have your parish priest or pastor send a letter to the Pastor/Parish Administrator of St. Ignatius Parish at [email protected] declaring that you are a member of the parish there and you are in good standing, that you are free to marry, and granting permission to witness your marriage and why you want to get married in the Cayman Islands instead of your home parish.
2. Please have your parish priest fill out the pre-marriage questionnaire with you and your fiancé and send it to your Diocese for any permission/dispensation needed. Once permission/dispensation is granted, ask your Diocese to mail the completed marriage dossier to the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Detroit (12 State St., Detroit, 48226-1823) for “No objection.” Once granted, the Diocese will mail your marriage dossier to us here at St. Ignatius Catholic Church.
The marriage file should include:a. Pre-marriage file
b. Certificate of Pre-Cana sessions (or similar program)
c. Baptismal record dated within 6 months for Catholics with annotations of your confirmation and previous marriage (if any), and a copy of the baptismal certificate for Non-Catholics.
3. Documents should be sent at least three (3) months ahead of the marriage date:
4. Please have your Parish Priest help you with planning the Wedding Ceremony. Most parishes have a book that lets you choose the readings, prayers, consent, and other aspects of the ceremony. The preferred one is “Together for Life” by Joseph Champlin, but you may use whatever your parish offers. Please send this at least a month before the wedding. You must choose readers for the First and Second Readings. (Remember, mail takes about two weeks to get here from the States.)
5. On your arrival on the island, please contact the parish office in order to make an appointment for us to meet and go over all the plans.
6. The fee for the use of the church for a wedding by one who is not a parishioner of St. Ignatius Church is US$750.00. As with the requirements above, you must pay this fee 3 months before the wedding date.
7. On your arrival, you will need to get a Governor’s Special License. This can be obtained from the Government Administration Building in George Town. Please phone them for their requirements. 1-345-914-2222. The cost is CI$200.00 or US$250.00.
8. All video cameras must be on a tripod and cannot move throughout the ceremony. No person taking pictures or videos is allowed in the Sanctuary. Pictures are limited to 30 minutes immediately following the wedding ceremony.
9. We ask that any flower arrangements that are delivered and used in the wedding ceremony remain in the sanctuary and not be taken out of the church for the reception after the ceremony.