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To be married at St. Gregory’s you are required to be
a registered member of the parish or
registered at another parish and have the approval of the pastor of that parish.
If you need to register, please contact the Ministry Office at 954-473-6261 Ext 167.
To begin your marriage preparation,
you will need to meet with one of the clergy of the parish where you are registered.
Please make an appointment with a priest
at least six months in advance before the intended date of marriage.
Couples getting married at St. Gregory's are required to attend a marriage preparation program,
consult with the Director of Liturgy and meet other preliminaries.
Click here for Marriage Guidelines booklet PDF
Marriage Preparation
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The Catholic Church has established a number of basic requirements for the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage. In order to fulfill these requirements, to assure sacred celebration of the Sacrament and to facilitate preparation for marriage, the Archdiocese of Miami has adopted the following policies which the parish of St. Gregory adheres to.
It is the responsibility of the engaged couple to take seriously the planning of the wedding liturgy. This entails being an actively registered member of St. Gregory’s parish; arranging a meeting with one of the priests of the parish; attending the various marriage preparation programs required i.e. Pre-Cana and FOCUS; and planning readings and music for the wedding.
To find out more about Pre-Cana, FOCUS and music for wedding, please check the relevant web pages on the parish website
Pre Cana / Engagement Encounter
Foccus Marriage Preparation
Choosing Music
Marriage Guidelines booklet PDF
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To arrange a meeting with one of the priests please call the rectory at (954) 473-6261.
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Requirements for Getting Married at St. Gregory's:
The following lists are the general requirements for getting married at St. Gregory's. It is important to note these vary depending on the couple. These requirements follow the regulations and guidelines as laid down by the Church.
The priest who is preparing the engaged persons for marriage will assist them in obtaining the following documents:
- To be registered active members of St. Gregory’s parish. If you are not a registered member and would like to register, please call the rectory office at 954-473-6261
- Pre-Nuptial Inquiry (Form A) is to be completed by each of the engaged. This inquiry includes questions regarding one’s freedom to marry and one’s views on Christian marriage.
- Letters of Freedom (Form B) are to be completed by two witnesses on behalf of each engaged person (i.e. two forms for each of the engaged). Forms are available at the parish.
- Baptismal Certificate(s): The baptismal certificate of the Catholic(s) should be issued within the last six months and include any notations (regarding other sacraments received). A certificate of baptism is also required of a non-Catholic Christian.
- Marriage Preparation Programs namely Pre-Cana or Engagement Encounter and FOCUS are required to be completed by the couples wishing to marry at St. Gregory’s.
- Marriage License from the State of Florida is a legal requirement if the couple is getting married in Florida, without which the wedding cannot take place.
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In addition if required the priest will assist you with the following documents:
- Permission for a Mixed Marriage (for a Catholic to marry a person baptized in a non-Catholic Christian denomination)
- Petition for Dispensation for Disparity of Worship (for a Catholic to marry a non-baptized person)
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Some Frequently Asked Questions about Marriage
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I am not from the parish but want to get married at St. Gregory’s
The marriage of an engaged couple takes place in the either the groom’s or bride’s parish. But for pastoral reasons, a marriage may take place outside of the parish, with the permission of the bride’s and groom’s pastor(s). This being the case, two parties who reside outside the parish but wish to get married at St. Gregory’s do their marriage preparation in their home parish/diocese. Under such circumstances, the couple arranges to have a Catholic priest they know or a priest from their own parish to be present and to witnesses their marriage at St. Gregory’s.
Where is it possible to be married in a Catholic ceremony?
Owing to the sacredness and sacramental nature of marriage and emphasizing the community nature of marriage it is standard policy to be married in church. If you desire to be married elsewhere, you will need to contact the Archdiocese of Miami directly.
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I am civilly married and want my marriage to be recognized by the Church
This is often referred to as a convalidation. All couples wishing to have their marriage recognized by the Church need to provide recent baptismal certificates and complete Forms A and B as described above and a copy of their marriage license. Please Note:
- If a couple are civilly married and were never married before, it is possible to have their marriage convalidated in the Catholic Church.
- If a couple are civilly married, and one or both of them was married before, they may be required to get a Lack of Canonical decree or an annulment before their marriage can be convalidated. Please read the paragraph below regarding Lack of Canonical Form and the parish webpage on Annulments for more information. If you have any further questions, please contact the parish as we are happy to support and assist you in this matter.
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I am a Catholic and I was married before outside of the Church and am divorced; can I get married in the Catholic Church?
If a Catholic has been married previously in any type of ceremony or common law union outside of the Church; i.e. not before a delegated priest or deacon and two witnesses and that marriage does not last, they will require a Lack of Canonical form to be completed before they are able to marry in the Catholic Church. The priest assisting you with your marriage preparation will guide you through this process. It is a canonical requirement (“canonical form”) that a Catholic be married before a properly delegated priest or deacon and two witnesses. A Catholic who marries outside the church without a dispensation from the canonical form does so invalidly, i.e., the Church does not recognize the marriage.
I am a Catholic; I was married before in the Catholic Church and divorced – is it possible to get married in the Church?
Please refer to Annulments on the parish website under Ministries (or Click here).
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Summary of Basic Requirements to Get Married at St. Gregory’s
- If outside parish boundaries, couples do marriage preparation in their own parish.
- If outside parish boundaries and couples register at St. Gregory’s, they need to be registered members of St. Gregory’s for a minimum of six months before beginning of marriage preparation.
- Actively participate in parish life following registration – attend Mass regularly, and perhaps become involved in one or more Parish Ministries.
- Registered parishioners begin marriage preparation by contacting priest for appointment at least six month before intended marriage date.
- Contact Director of Liturgy for liturgy and music guidelines and inquires.
- Provide required information to process marriage preparation.
- Attend required Pre Cana and FOCCUS programs.
- If couples from other parish/diocese – need required permission from their own church.
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An Explanation of the Sacrament of Marriage
Guidelines in Developing and Supporting a Christian Marriage
Traditionally one way of understanding what a Christian marriage is is to view it as a legal contract. Marriage is not, as the German theologian Father Bernard Haring reminds us, a business contract for the purpose of getting a job done.
And the public exchange of vows form the basis of the contract the couple make with each other. The couple express that they come freely and without reservation, they publicly commit to love and honor each other for the rest of their lives and promise to take the other for better, for worse, in sickness and in health until death does them part. These are the essential components that from the marriage contract.
Marriage, as a Christian sacrament, is a lifelong and faithful union of a man and a woman mutually committed to sharing their life and love together. Modeled after and strengthened by God's own love for his people, it's an intimate partnership in which each person gives the other freedom to grow and which is directed toward bearing fruit. The total pledge of Christian marriage is a promise of faithfulness in body and spirit. Faithfulness implies a commitment to growth as a couple in mutual support and affection. Mutual growth demands a concentrated effort to develop communication skills. Good communication is neither a matter of luck nor a natural endowment. It is a skill that can be developed and learned.
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When a couple shares goodwill, mutual trust and the desire to communicate, they develop these skills by practicing them in their life together. When communication is difficult or becomes blocked, partners in a Christian marriage are committed to try throughout life to improve communication. Openness is an essential part of communication. Many marriage differences are so trivial that partners are ashamed to face their own pettiness. Such examples as she plans a busy weekend when he would prefer to sleep late and relax. He leaves clothes, towels and newspapers lying around while she struggles for neatness and order. When faced with such differences, some people flare up in anger, others withdraw into pouting or silence. Neither action promotes understanding. Mutual growth demands the open expression of feelings precisely at the times when openness seems most difficult and withdrawal seems most attractive.
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Mutual growth demands a delicate balance between assertiveness and surrender. Each partner must learn when to assert his or her own needs and wants and when to yield graciously to the wants and needs of the other. In that delicate balance, perhaps more than anywhere else lays the secret of living together in lasting love.
| Mutual growth demands a realistic outlook. On the wedding day, the bride or groom is seen as the best possible choice for a lifetime partner. No matter how many differences arise and no matter how many negative qualities appear people retain good qualities. For example, a methodical, highly organized woman chooses a partner whose spontaneity and impulsiveness charm her. Later, when his impulsive decisions frighten and irritate her, she may want to attack him for his decisions. If she is prudent, she will recognize that she chose this man for his impulsiveness and work to communicate where that is appropriate and where it is not. |
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Mutual growth demands renewal. Marriage enrichment programs recognize a couple's need to get away together, to examine and renew their love. A special date with a spouse, a late dinner together, a weekend getaway for two all renew and deepen the affection which makes marriage not a business contract, but a union based on love.
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Mutual growth demands trust in the love a couple shares, even when that love seems to wane. All marriages face dry spells. Pressures from the outside world intrude. One becomes preoccupied; the other is away from home a lot. Weariness dulls the homecoming. The energy necessary to renew the marriage is just not available. Sometimes both can face the problem squarely and begin to plan positive alternatives. Sometimes they have only trust, the simple, quiet conviction that they will weather this dry spell and continue to grow because they took each other "for better, for worse," and meant it. It is often here that a couple may begin to grow apart and the marriage can begin to fail without the nourishment or the couple not providing the relationship with support for themselves and to each other.
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Personal Freedom of Growth and Change
Paradoxically, the permanent, unconditional pledge of Christian marriage makes possible a personal freedom unknown in other unions. Christian marriage says two people are committed to each other, not merely under certain circumstances, but totally. They are partners and helpmates. Sometimes people view marriage as the end of personal growth, something to "settle into" after they have developed their personal talents and achieved their personal goals. On the contrary, in a vital marriage each partner continues to develop individual gifts and to discover new abilities. Love always creates!
We change over time, others change over time. We know that; we expect it. Growth and change is not things to fear but is part of the adventure that is our life together. If growth leads you to success in paths I cannot follow, I will rejoice in your victory. If change means loss of health or disappointment, I will still be there. If change brings differences between us, we shall work them out. You do not have to be afraid to grow. You do not have to fear what growth will do to our marriage. Before all else, we are committed to working out our life together.
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The Place of Children within a Marriage
In “Marriage in the Modern World”, Father Bernard Haring tells us that marriage is a union based on love "directed toward fruitfulness." In that rich phrase lays sufficient challenge to make a marriage vital for a lifetime. Love expands outwards. Mature lovers also love the world. That love for the world and everything in it is not merely a good feeling. It is part and parcel of the marriage commitment. Christian married love is necessarily directed outside itself toward others. Married couples live not only for personal growth, not only for mutual growth, but for something which is greater than themselves!
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Children are a natural expression of love within a marriage. The Church has a consistently positive view on the bearing and raising of children because Christian marriage is directed toward the achieving of the fullness of love. There can be loving large families, loving small families, and loving childless couples. But never can Christian marriage be loving and at the same time unfruitful! It is not the number of children a couple has that is a sign of love but the generous attitude toward life and sharing that marks Christian marriage.
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Children are not the only expression of love in Christian marriage. The couple that does not yet have children, the couple that will never have children, and the couple whose children are raised are all still called to strive towards love. For Christians, marriage leads to family and family leads to household. A household involves more than a single set of parents and children; a household welcomes and shares with others on a temporary or permanent basis; a household is the local community and the wider community.
Formerly people turned to family throughout life to meet their basic needs. There they sought food and shelter and love. There they were born, educated, nursed when ill, cared for when old and buried at life's end. Today, the need of the many both in our community, and throughout the world – our brothers and sisters of the human family require us to challenge ourselves in responding to their needs.
Click here for Marriage Guidelines booklet PDF
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Videos
USCCB Matrimony
Sacrament of Matrimony
Why Marriage, Why a Church?
Marriage - Part 1 of 3
Marriage - Part 2 of 3
Marriage - Part 3 of 3
The Call to Marriage
Fireproof Trailer
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