MARRIAGE - MATRIMONIO

Marriage

God created man and woman out of love and commanded them to imitate his love in their relations with each other. Man and woman were created for each other…Woman and man are equal in human dignity, and in marriage both are united in an unbreakable bond. (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Ch. 21, p. 279)

The sacrament of marriage is a visible sign of God’s love for the Church. When a man and a woman are married in the Church, they receive the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity.

Marriage is a Covenant

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenantal union in the image of the covenants between God and his people with Abraham and later with Moses at Mt. Sinai. This divine covenant can never be broken. In this way, marriage is a union that bonds spouses together during their entire lifetime.

The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. (CCC 1661)

The love in a married relationship is exemplified in the total gift of one’s self to another. It’s this self-giving and self-sacrificing love that we see in our other model of marriage, the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Marriage is based on the consent of the contracting parties, that is, on their will to give themselves, each to the other, mutually and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love. (CCC 1662)

The Church takes the lifelong nature of the Sacrament of Marriage seriously. The Church teaches that a break in this covenant teaches goes against the natural law of God:

The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith. (CCC 1665)

Marriage Reflects the Holy Trinity

We believe that God exists in eternal communion. Together, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in one being with no beginning and no end. Human beings, likewise, were created by God in God’s image for the purpose of communion with another human being.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2205). The Sacrament of Marriage is “unitive, indissoluble and calls us to be completely open to fertility.” Christian marriage at its finest is a reflection of God’s self-giving love expressed between the love of two people.

Marriage Requirements

REQUIREMENTS
Office interview to see wedding date and time. Six months prior the wedding

•Baptismal and Confirmation Certificate of each one. (Recent baptismal certificate issued within the last six months from your church of baptism). Must have received First Communion.
•Marriage License for civil wedding: Records Building, 500 Main Street, room 301, Dallas, 214-653-7131, Each must present either a birth certificate, Texas Drivers License or Social Security number. Bring the marriage license at least two weeks before the date of the ceremony. If the couple is already married, bring a copy of the marriage certificate.
•The couple must attend marriage preparation classes. (Ask the dates in the office).
•Two witnesses, one each one, must know the couple for at least 15 years.
•Make an appointment with the priest, must bring Baptismal and Confirmation certificates. If possible, bring witnesses the same day.
•One picture of each one, passport size.
•Donation for the Church is $500.00. Community Weddings $250.00. Half of the amount in the form of deposit would be given to set a date on the church calendar, the other half is due one month before the ceremony. Deposit is non-refundable.
•If you have not received First Communion or Confirmation, ask for the classes in the office. Not included in the donation.
•Music (See parish choir’s list). Not included in the donation.
•Two fresh flower arrangements for the altar, to leave in the church and one small arrangement for our Lady of Guadalupe. Not included in the donation.

NOTES
If the couple is already married, bring marriage license
If one of them was civilly married before and was divorced, bring divorce certificate and marriage license from previous marriage. An "Absence of Canonical Form" has to be completed and extra payment of $50 fee.
If one of them is not catholic, a "Petition for a Canonical Dispensation or Permission for a Mixed Marriage Form" has to be completed and extra payment of $50.00 fee. If widow, bring death certificate from the spouse.
For weddings outside of Blessed Sacrament, the donation to the church is $250.00 for the preparation of documents and for marriage preparation classes.

GUIDELINES
Decorations are permitted only at the church entrance and not near the altar.
Type is not permitted in the pews.
No rice, confetti, flowers, bubbles, etc. Are to be thrown on the church premises.
The confessions for the couple, family and friends will be the Friday before the ceremony from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. or any Saturday before the ceremony from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m.
Since we have other ceremonies on the same day, each ceremony must begin on time.

Requisitos para Matrimonio

Entrevista de los novios con el sacerdote en la oficina: para completar la forma V del questionario pre-nupcial, exponer su caso, fijar la fecha, y la hora de la boda seis meses antes de la boda.
Certificado de Bautismo y Confirmacion de cada uno de los novios. (El certificado de Bautismo debe ser reciente, no mas de seis meses de expedido). Tambien haber echo la primera Comunion.
Certificado civil del nacimiento de los novios.
Licensia para matrimonio civil: Edificio Records de la Ciudad en la 500 Main St., Oficina 301, Dallas, 214-653-7131. Deben ir los dos compromentidos con licencia de manejar o el acta de nacimiento, y numero de seguro social. Entregar la licencia en la oficina, dos o tres semanas antes de la boda. En el caso de los que ya estan casados por el civil traer la licensia
Tomar las platicas pre-matrimoniales. (Preguntar en la oficina las fechas)
Testigos: uno por cada uno de los novios, que los conozcan por lo menos hace quince años y traer su identificacion.
Hacer una cita con el sacerdote, para abrir el expediente matrimonial, en lo posible tener listos los certificados de bautismo y confirmacion. Si es posible traer los testigos ese dia.
Una fotografia tamaño pasaporte para cada contrayente o reciente donde esten los dos.
Hacer una donacion a la parroquia: $500 si es misa privada $250 Boda Comunitaria. Es requirido dar un deposito de la mitad de la cantidad para separar la fecha de la celebracion. La cantidad que resta debe ser pagada un mes antes de la ceremonia. El deposito es no reembolsable. (Los servicios del sacerdote no estan incluidos en esta donacion si usted desea puede darle personalmente una gratificacion).
Si aun le falta algun sacramento (Comunion o Confirmacion), pregunte en la oficina sobre las clases. No esta incluida en la donacion.
Musica: Ver lista del coro de la parroquia (No esta incluida en la misa privada).
Dos ramos de flores naturales para el altar, que quedaran en el templo y un ramo pequeño para llevar al altar de la Virgen de Guadalupe. (No estan incluidos en la donacion).

Notas

Si alguno de los contrayentes fue casado por lo civil en el pasado y se divorcio, favor traer el acta de divorcio y copia de la licencia de dicho matrimonio. Llenar ante el sacerdote la forma "Falta de Forma Canonica". Este requisito tiene un cargo de $50.00 extra.
Si alguno de los contrayentes no es católico, deberá llenar la forma IIIA "Peticion Dispensacion Canonica" para matrimonio mixto. Este requisito tiene un cargo de $50.00 extra.
Si enviudo traer el acta de defuncion de su pareja.
Si van a contraer matrimonio en otra parroquia y solamente desean tomar las clases y llenar sus documentos, deberan hacer contactos previos con el sacerdote de dicha parroquia, y aqui solamente se les pedira una donacion de $250.00.

Reglas:

No se permiten decoraciones cerca del reclinatorio
No se permite poner cinta adhesiva (tape) en las bancas.
NO se debe tirar arroz, confeti, petalos de flores, burbujas, etc. en los terrenos de la Iglesia
Las confesiones de los novios, familia, y amigos seran el viernes de 5:30 pm a 6:45 pm o cualquier sabado de 3:00 a 3:45 pm.
Tenemos otras celebraciones el mismo dia y cada ceremonia debe empezar a su tiempo. Ustes y sus invitados deben llegar a la Iglesia media hora antes de la ceremonia.
Si van a tener video y/o fotografia, ellos deberan estar durante la ceremonia en un lugar fijo, junto a la fuente bautismal.