It’s official: outdoor Catholic weddings a go in Butte

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Montana Standard:
Although the Satterthwaite-Link service didn’t include a Mass, the ceremony is still considered a sacrament.

Rules are strict, as monitored by [pastoral associate Seaneen] Prendergast: no alcohol in the area before, during or after the ceremony; and not playing outdoor games, such as Frisbee.

“My job is to make sure that everyone who is there knows it is still a Catholic rite,” Prendergast added.
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I didn’t know that a wedding without Mass was possible. I guess that is what allows the ceremony to be performed in a park?
 
Ojo_Feliz said:
I didn’t know that a wedding without Mass was possible. I guess that is what allows the ceremony to be performed in a park?
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No, it is quite common for marriages to take place outside of Mass in the Catholic Church, but they are held in the church. Usually this happens when a Catholic and non-Catholic are getting married, and there is no Holy Communion. With dispensation from the Bishop, a Catholic may also marry a non-Catholic in the non-Catholic’s church or synagogue, but I believe the priest or deacon may not be the officiant, but is present. I have been to all of these types of weddings over the years. My friend, who is a deacon, has a son who was married with dispensation in a Protestant church, but the officiant was the minister of the church, not him.

My daughter married a non-Catholic at a Mass, and the groom and his family and non-Catholic friends could not not receive Communion, but she was not having anything but a Mass for her wedding. It worked out ok, and everyone, as far as I could tell, were respectful of the Church’s position on Communion, but I know it can be awkward at times, that is why it is suggested no Mass in this situation. However, the marriage is still sacramental if both are baptized Christians.

But this is the first I have heard of outdoor weddings being permitted, but since the venue of a wedding is a discipline and not dogma or doctrine, it can be changed. I’ve attended plenty of outdoor Masses.
 
CB Catholic, thank you!

Getting better informed is one the reasons I am here, and you just helped with that. 🙂
 
Interesting, Ive never thought about this…

When my dad remarried, the wedding was held at a local nature park, the catholic priest from our parish officiated and married them, she was a catholic as well, I dont recall anyone saying anything about this and why it wasnt being held inside the actual church, I do remember the priest did not wear any robes, he just wore his regular black suit and pants, like when he goes out in public.
 
Ojo_Feliz said:
I didn’t know that a wedding without Mass was possible. I guess that is what allows the ceremony to be performed in a park?
Click to expand...
We chose not to have a mass for our ceremony. My wife isn’t Catholic and many of the people attending weren’t Catholic so I thought it would be weird to receive communion while my wife didn’t and have a full mass where only a few people go to communion.

In our pre-Cana materials, the Bishop recommend no mass for mixed couples. The sacrament is conferred on the man by the woman and the woman by the man. The mass isn’t necessary for it to be a sacrament.
 
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