CATHEDRAL RESTORATION

Renovation construction will begin in the Cathedral  July 6, 2009.  The restoration is estimated to take approximately 22 months.  We will NOT be scheduling any weddings until we have a better estimate on our time line for completion of the project.

PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE

So faith, hope and love abide

these three, but the

greatest of these

is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Congratulations!  You have decided you want to share your lives together and that you wish to have God’s blessing upon your marriage.  We at St. James are here to help you in any way we can so that you have the best possible foundation for your married life and to make your wedding day as joyful as possible.  During this preparation period you should pray for a successful and life-long commitment to each other.

 

Below you will find a number of things which you need to know about the Sacrament of Marriage; the Church’s rules regarding marriage and the practical details of organizing a wedding ceremony.  Use this period of preparation as a real opportunity to examine how you view marriage in the context of your Christian life – a wedding lasts a day; marriage is for a lifetime, and it is marriage for which you are preparing.

 

Problems often arise when some of the advance planning takes place before consulting the parish, where there may be conflict with established Diocesan or Parish Policy.  We follow Diocesan Guidelines for what are titled “special circumstances”:  e.g., pregnancy, unwillingness to prepare for marriage, lack of openness to faith, serious lack of maturity, teenage marriage, separation of the couple for an extended period of time before or after the wedding, or failure to fulfill the requirements of Church Law.

 

If there are any questions you want to ask, details you need clarified or points you want to raise, remember our priests are here to assist you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canon Law and Diocesan Regulations

Diocese of Orlando Family Life Office - Marriage Preparation

 

Canon Law is the law of the universal Catholic Church.  It contains a number of regulations for the marriage of members of the Church.

At lease four-(4) month’s notice of a proposed marriage is required.

 

If both parties are Catholic, they must be practicing Catholics.  Minimum requirements for being registered and active are a) attendance at Sunday Mass, b) supporting your parish through the use of your envelopes, c) and/or participating in some form of ministry in the parish.  (A list of our ministries is available at the church office.)  You will be required to present a current baptismal certificate (i.e., one issued in the previous six months).  We include a sample letter requesting a baptismal certificate from the church of your Baptism.  This certificate should also include information about your First Communion and Confirmation.

 

With a letter from their respective Pastors, couples who are not parishioners may receive permission to celebrate the Sacrament at St. James.

 

If one of the parties is not Catholic, then a dispensation is needed.  The priest helping you with your arrangements will organize this for you.  If the person is a baptized member of another Christian Church, St. James Cathedral requires a copy of this baptismal certificate.  If there are difficulties in obtaining the certificate, the priest will discuss what needs to be done.

 

Ordinarily the marriage is celebrated in the parish church of the bride.  An interfaith marriage is usually in the parish of the Catholic party.  Permission of the Bishop is required for a wedding in a non-Catholic Church.

  

You will need two (2) notarized statements for each party from witnesses, attesting to your freedom to marry.  These witnesses may be anyone who knows you sufficiently well to state that you are free to marry – we would suggest parents or close relatives.  The priest will give you the necessary forms for this.

 

The couple must participate in either the Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend or the Diocesan Pre-Cana Program.  Schedules for these are distributed at the initial interview.

 

A date and time for the celebration of the Sacrament is tentatively “penciled” in the Mass Book after an initial interview with the wedding coordinator.  No date is considered definitive until fulfillment of all of the requirements.  Weddings are scheduled on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m., 12 noon and 2:00 p.m.  Of course, a wedding can take place any day of the week. 

 

You are required to complete a FOCCUS INVENTORY.  FOCCUS is a type of personality profile/communications survey designed to pinpoint areas of agreement and disagreement between a couple proposing to get married.  It is not a marriage compatibility test, but a tool to assist the couple preparing for marriage in knowing the strengths and weaknesses in their relationship.  Every couple will be assigned married parishioners whose ministry it is to assist them with the FOCCUS.  It is your responsibility to contact your FOCCUS couple.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING is a part of the preparation requirements.  Please call the number on the paper given to you at the initial interview to schedule a session.

 

 

NO plans should be made with a hall, musicians, cameraman, etc., until marriage preparation requirements have been completed and the date and time have been approved by the Priest.

 

 

 

 

 

Parish Regulations

 

As well as the Diocesan and Church rules outlined, we also have a number of guidelines at the Cathedral:

 

The sacramental marriage of two practicing Catholics is normally celebrated during a Mass in a community of believers, with those in a state of Grace sharing in communion.  Your request presumes basic and honest Catholic faith and practice. Confession is available here at the Cathedral on Monday through Friday from 11:40a.m. - 11:55a.m. and on Saturday’s at 3:00 p.m. - 4p.m. Also available by appointment.

 

 

The fee for the Cathedral is based on your level of stewardship and length of time in the Parish.  This offering includes the facilities fee, Natural Family Planning Seminar, all necessary materials and processing fee for the FOCCUS.  The fee you are expected to pay, ninety days before the wedding, will be discussed with the wedding coordinator before your first meeting with the priest.  However, these fees do not include personal services rendered, such as Pre–Cana, musicians, soloists, altar servers, florists or photographers.

 

It is not permissible in this diocese for a marriage to take place outside a church building.

 

It is not the responsibility of the church to take care of any civil arrangements for a marriage.  Please make sure that you have contacted the county courthouse in plenty of time to obtain the necessary marriage license, which should be given to the priest at the rehearsal.  Marriage licenses are valid for only 60 days.  You will receive a Certificate of Completion from us when we have received all of the necessary paperwork and all monies have been paid in full.  This certificate will provide a significant discount to the couple when applying for the Marriage License.

 

 

How To Obtain a Marriage License in Orlando

 

Below are the steps required for acquiring a Florida marriage license in Orange County.

Time Required:  30 45 minutes

Here's How:

1.  Both the bride and groom must both appear together at a clerk of the following Clerk of the Court office. For more information call (407) 836-2067.

2.  Come prepared!  Be ready to provide your Social Security number and one of the following:  Driver's license;  Certified copy of a birth certificate;  Passport;  Military identification.

3.  If either or both of you is divorced, be ready to provide the date that your prior marriage ended.

4.  Couples are required to read a handbook supplied by the Clerk and sign a statement of completion before applying for a license. (This can be done at the time you apply for the license.)

 

5.  Did you complete the premarital preparation course?  If so, bring the Certificate of Completion with you and you will receive your license immediately. If not, there will be a three day waiting period for your license.

 

6.  The cost for your marriage license will be reduced by $32.50 if you have completed the premarital preparation course within the last 12 months.  Otherwise the cost is $88.50

Tips:

1.  A marriage license may be applied for in any Florida county, not just where the bride and groom live, or where the ceremony is to be held.

 

2.  Blood Tests and physical exams are no longer required for a marriage license.

 

 

SPECIAL ITEMS TO NOTE

 

 

 

 1.    Flowers in church can add dignity to a wedding, but are not required.  However, they can also overwhelm, so not more than two arrangements should be planned.  In our tradition, no flowers are to be placed on the surface of the altar or at the ambo (pulpit).  Obviously, they should not obstruct the priest or the ceremony, if placed in the sanctuary.  Please notify the Parish Administrator if it is your intention to leave your floral arrangements at the Church at the conclusion of your wedding

 

2.    Pew bows are allowed, but not provided.  These should be attached by proper holders – usually provided by the florist – or tied.  No scotch tape or nails or thumbtacks are allowed to be used on the pews for any purpose.

 

3.     NO AISLE RUNNERS ARE PERMITTED.

 

4.    Absolutely no rice, birdseed, confetti, etc. are to be thrown on any of the church property.

 

5.    If you would like altar servers for your wedding ceremony, the parish office will be happy to contact them for you. Please call the office at 407-422-2005 at least 2 weeks before your ceremony.

 

 

 

6.  Because of the limited space in the church, the bridal party should arrive at Church already dressed in their wedding garments.

 

7.  The rehearsal time is scheduled by the priest, usually the evening before the wedding.  You are expected to observe the proper reverence for the Church building prior to and during the rehearsal.  It is important to have your bridal party at the church on time and organized.  We often have three (3) rehearsals scheduled for an evening.

 

8. NO FOOD AND BEVERAGE OF ANY KIND SHOULD BE BROUGHT ONTO THE PREMISES OR INTO THE CHURCH.

 

9.  The bridal party should be dressed in suitable attire that speaks to the holiness of the marriage.  Therefore, shorts of any kind are not considered proper attire.

 

10.Punctuality is absolutely essential so that the marriage ceremony can begin on time and not disrupt weekend Mass schedules.

 

11.  The use of cell phones inside the Church is NOT acceptable.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

Only one official photographer and/or videographer should operate during the ceremony.  Guests AND Family members will be asked to put their cameras away during the ceremony.  LIGHT BARS ARE NOT TO BE USED AT ANY TIME DURING THE SERVICE.  Above all, no photos, especially flash, should be taken during the Eucharistic Prayer or Communion.

 

 

 

 

MUSIC

Musicians/Organists are available only by request.  St. James has an excellent Music Director, Robert Schaefer.  He may be contacted by calling 407-625-6678.  Your music interview should take place at least one month before your wedding.  Bob often will hold a Wedding Music Session in the Cathedral, usually once a month, so that you may hear the music to help make your selections.   A Christian marriage in the presence of a priest of the Church and a community of relatives and friends is a Sacrament which reaches far deeper into the human spirit than a civil marriage before a State authority.  The Sacrament of Matrimony not only celebrates the love of husband and wife, but also the love of almighty God for His people.  It is not only a pledge of fidelity made by the bride and groom to each other, but also a sacred time when they are reminded of God’s pledge of total and faithful love for them as they begin their new life together.  The Sacrament is rightly called PUBLIC PRAYER.  It is reasonable, therefore, that any music used at the celebration should have a relationship to prayer itself.  It is with these thoughts in mind that the following policy is in effect here at St. James.

 

a)  The choice of music is to be made in consultation with the Director of Music.  He is qualified to help you select appropriate instrumental and vocal music for your wedding.  Only appropriate sacred music is proper for the celebration of Marriage.  Please do not expect the musician to play “your favorites” or other popular music.

 

b) It is expected that the Parish Music Director will be employed for weddings in St. James.  If you wish to have other musicians, who will use the church equipment, they must be approved and knowledgeable in the proper use of church equipment established by the Parish Music Director.

 

c) The professional fee for music services is to be discussed directly with the Director of Music.

 

 

 

 

If you should have any questions, please contact Nancy at 407-422-2005 or she can be reached at nance@stjcc.net