Consecration

[saintodilia]

Hi,

I’m a Catholic from Chelsea in London. I have always been under the impression that a church must be consecrated in order for marriages and baptisms, etc to take place. True?

In an excerpt from a parish church from my Diocese (Westminster), it states that, ‘From 1849 until 1966 it was simply a Jesuit church, open to the public but not the centre of worship for a parish. Sacraments such as marriage and baptism could not be celebrated in the church and the reputation of Farm Street rested on the pulpit and the confessionals.’ Was this because it was a Jesuit church?

In 1829 a Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, which allowed Catholics in Britain to worship openly, as well as marry. Surely, as records indicate, if churches did not need to be consecrated for it to occur, marriages took place.

If so, this makes my geneological research so much more easier.

I appreciate any help available.

Thank you.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Hi,

I’m a Catholic from Chelsea in London. I have always been under the impression that a church must be consecrated in order for marriages and baptisms, etc to take place. True?

In an excerpt from a parish church from my Diocese (Westminster), it states that, ‘From 1849 until 1966 it was simply a Jesuit church, open to the public but not the centre of worship for a parish. Sacraments such as marriage and baptism could not be celebrated in the church and the reputation of Farm Street rested on the pulpit and the confessionals.’ Was this because it was a Jesuit church?

In 1829 a Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, which allowed Catholics in Britain to worship openly, as well as marry. Surely, as records indicate, if churches did not need to be consecrated for it to occur, marriages took place.

If so, this makes my geneological research so much more easier.

I appreciate any help available.

Thank you.

Sacraments even today are normally celebrated in the “parish church” because the Pastor of the parish is responsible for the Sacraments celebrated in his parish.boundries. A parish can be geogeaphic or ethnic. In most diocese a Catholic can worship anywhere a valid catholic Mass is celebrated. They should however always be registered in a parish, usually the parish in which they live.

Mass was always celebrated on a consecrated altar. I would guess that the church even though belonging to a religious order was still Consecrated, but just not a parish church.

 

[saintodilia]

Thanks for your reply.

So, in other words, a church does NOT need to be consecrated in order for marriages to take place? At this website (westminsteryearbook.org.uk/pd/pd_lc_postal.districts.html)), the building dates and consecration dates are listed. Are you saying that basically, a parish church simply needs to be built, then a marriage could take place?

 

[Chatter163]

I have always been under the impression that a church must be consecrated in order for marriages and baptisms, etc to take place. True?

Untrue.

 

[saintodilia]

Ah, thanks! That makes things so much easier for me to do research!

 

[bpbasilphx]

So, in other words, a church does NOT need to be consecrated in order for marriages to take place?

I think what he’s saying is that Baptisms and Marriages MUST take place in a parish church.

The Church of a religious community is consecrated, but it’s not necessarily a parish church.

 

[saintodilia]

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Phemie]

So, in other words, a church does NOT need to be consecrated in order for marriages to take place?

I think what he’s saying is that Baptisms and Marriages MUST take place in a parish church.

Not MUST. Marriages can take place at any church with permission. Baptisms can also be celebrated other than at the ‘parish church’. It’s wasn’t rare for parents to request that their baby be baptized at the hospital chapel before heading home and we’ve had at least one celebrated at the local nursing home chapel because the grandparent was a resident.

The Church of a religious community is consecrated, but it’s not necessarily a parish church.