Catholic service

calypso798

greetings from Houston! I am wanting to wed in downtown Pittsburg but am running into a speed bump. I was unaware the rules of a Catholic wedding- you need to bring your own priest if out of parish/city/state? I understand each parish is special, but… anybody run into this and what are possible solutions? Thought I was on track picking out a venue but now I have to see if a church is available the same day and also a priest willing to travel…

banana468

calypso798 said:

greetings from Houston! I am wanting to wed in downtown Pittsburg but am running into a speed bump. I was unaware the rules of a Catholic wedding- you need to bring your own priest if out of parish/city/state? I understand each parish is special, but… anybody run into this and what are possible solutions? Thought I was on track picking out a venue but now I have to see if a church is available the same day and also a priest willing to travel…

Have you booked a church or have you received dispensation to have your ceremony in a location that isn't a Catholic church? 

Catholic wedding ceremonies need to be in a house of worship or you will need dispensation from the local bishop to have your wedding where you are requesting.    In addition, there is a pre-marriage process called precana that you and your FI will need to attend to prove that you two are ready to receive the Sacrament of Marriage.  Have you two talked to your local priest in Houston to start to facilitate that process?  Most parishes ask couples to go to them a year in advance if possible to book a location and start the needed steps. 

flantastic

What is the reason for wanting to get married in downtown Pittsburgh? Generally, you are supposed to get married in the parish where you participate. The pastor of a parish is supposed to marry his own parishioners, generally.

So yeah, you have to find someone who has a connection to you - the parish you hope to get married in isn't just going to commit one of their priests to you if you're living out of state. The idea is that someone has your spiritual care in hand. Part of the responsibility of being the priest to "do" your wedding isn't just saying the actual Mass - it's ensuring you're prepared to undertake the responsibilities and privileges of the sacrament of marriage. That can be a lot of work. e.g. the PreCana Banana mentioned, and a lot of paperwork.

I got married in the parish where I grew up, not the one I currently attended in a different city. There was paperwork to allow me to do PreCana in my city with my current pastor, and paperwork to allow a different priest from my college to come in to say the Mass. The pastor at the parish where I grew up was willing to do all that because he knew me, my parents were still there, and these other two priests were vouching for our preparedness.

flantastic

Oh, and @calypso978 - you'll also likely need to budget for the hotel for the priest who does travel. Diocesan priests have some of their own income, but it's not a lot, and traveling to another city for your wedding is a big favor to ask.