Letter of Freedom for marriage (where?)

[catholicjohn]

Hi Everyone!

I’m trying to find out where I can obtain Letter of Freedom for marriage. Some say county office and some say my current parish. My priest has been in the States for only 2years, so he’s not sure where to get this, either. I live in Los Angeles, CA, and wedding will take place here, too. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

PS Our wedding is in couple weeks, and I finally understand why people go crazy before the wedding.

 

[1ke]

Your priest should contact the diocesan office. This is a form he will fill out and you will sign. Most diocese have standardized it into a form so that each parish collects the same information.

You and your fiancee will need to provide the location of your baptisms so that your current parish can obtain your sacramental records to prove freedom to marry. Your priest may ask you to call your baptismal parishes and obtain the records.

 

[nodito]

Hi Everyone!

I’m trying to find out where I can obtain Letter of Freedom for marriage. Some say county office and some say my current parish. My priest has been in the States for only 2years, so he’s not sure where to get this, either. I live in Los Angeles, CA, and wedding will take place here, too. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

PS Our wedding is in couple weeks, and I finally understand why people go crazy before the wedding.

Who is requiring you to have this letter? I’m not familiar with the Letter of Freedom to marry, but I suspect if you can provide us with some context then someone on this board should be able to help.

When I got married, the priest asked to see my baptismal certificate with sacramental notations, to show that I was indeed Catholic and had never been married in the Church before. I got this by calling and requesting it from the parish where I was baptized.

If you have been legally married before and have not received a decree of nullility, then you’re looking at a process that will take longer than a couple of weeks.

Good luck getting everything sorted out.

 

[Joan_M]

When I was getting married (nearly 40 years ago, in Ireland) I had to get a letter of freedom from each parish in which I had lived for six months or more after the age of consent for marriage. In my case, that was three (if I remember correctly). I wrote to each of the parishes requesting this. Although the parish in which your baptism was done (and registered) should have records of any marriage, it can take some time for the information to be sent, should you have married in another parish. This is why you need a letter of freedom from each parish - the letters cannot be more than six months old.

This is something that should be done soon after meeting with the priest to determine the wedding date, not a couple of weeks before the wedding! How come this was not done earlier?