Wedding at a Parish Mass?

[MusherMaggie]

Are there directives in the Catechism, General Instruction on the Roman Missal or Canon Law that say whether or not the Sacrament of Matrimony may be celebrated at a regular weekend parish Mass?

 

[1ke]

by default any sacrament can take place within the context of the mass-- the one on Sunday or any other day.

The GIRM specifies when a marriage within a mass may NOT be held-- either the regular Sunday mass or a nuptial mass-- such as certain feast days, certain penance days, etc. So, by default, they certainly MAY be done on any of those other days.

Whenever the marriage is conducted within the Sunday mass, the liturgy of the Sunday is used.

On the following days weddings may not be performed within the Mass: Eastern Triduum (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday), Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, and any solemnity that is a holy day of obligation. In the US, this includes the Assumption, All Saints and the Immaculate Conception.

 

[Crusaderbear]

Our church does a couple marriage renewals a year at mass - usually the Saturday Vigil.

I couldn’t imagine anyone trying to get married on Good Friday! Glad it’s on the No Fly list

 

[Phemie]

Our church does a couple marriage renewals a year at mass - usually the Saturday Vigil.

I couldn’t imagine anyone trying to get married on Good Friday! Glad it’s on the No Fly list

Even marriage during Lent is discouraged. It’s not forbidden but the couple is reminded that it’s a penitential time and that has to be kept in mind in the decoration of the church and in the festivities that normally accompany a wedding.

 

[Gorgias]

Our church does a couple marriage renewals a year at mass - usually the Saturday Vigil.

Yeah, but those aren’t ‘weddings’ – they don’t really “create” (or even “renew”) matrimonial vows; they just give couples an opportunity to celebrate their anniversaries.

 

[Gorgias]

Are there directives in the Catechism, General Instruction on the Roman Missal or Canon Law that say whether or not the Sacrament of Matrimony may be celebrated at a regular weekend parish Mass?

IIRC, in my diocese, it’s not permitted to celebrate a Nuptial Mass on Sunday. YMMV.

 

[YADA]

Our church does a couple marriage renewals a year at mass - usually the Saturday Vigil.

I couldn’t imagine anyone trying to get married on Good Friday! Glad it’s on the No Fly list

Good Friday is the only day of the year when a Mass is not performed - its a Communion Service - not a Mass

And yes - no one should consider getting married on Good Friday - though I doubt any Catholic would think they should … but stranger things happen

 

[Phemie]

by default any sacrament can take place within the context of the mass-- the one on Sunday or any other day.

The GIRM specifies when a marriage within a mass may NOT be held-- either the regular Sunday mass or a nuptial mass-- such as certain feast days, certain penance days, etc. So, by default, they certainly MAY be done on any of those other days.

Whenever the marriage is conducted within the Sunday mass, the liturgy of the Sunday is used.

On the following days weddings may not be performed within the Mass: Eastern Triduum (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday), Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, and any solemnity that is a holy day of obligation. In the US, this includes the Assumption, All Saints and the Immaculate Conception.

I was looking for this in the GIRM but all I find is that the ritual Mass is not allowed, not that the marriage can’t be celebrated within a regular Mass (well except for the Triduum when marriages can’t be celebrated at all on Friday and Saturday). Perhaps I’m not looking at the right place?

 

[1ke]

IIRC, in my diocese, it’s not permitted to celebrate a Nuptial Mass on Sunday. YMMV.

Which doesn’t mean a marriage cannot take place on Sunday. They can (a) use the liturgy of Sunday instead of the nuptial mass or (b) have the marriage rite outside mass.

 

[ctb95]

I know of a marriage recently that was done during our parish’s Saturday vigil mass

 

[tafan]

Pretty much standard practice in many parts of the world, isn’t it?

 

[Gorgias]

Which doesn’t mean a marriage cannot take place on Sunday. They can (a) use the liturgy of Sunday instead of the nuptial mass or (b) have the marriage rite outside mass.

Actually, it does. No weddings on Sundays in the Province of Philadelphia. I went back and looked it up.

 

[bitterhope]

I got married at a regular Saturday Vigil Mass. I’ve met a few others that did as well. A couple here got married last Wednesday night at a regular evening Mass. it’s not really that uncommon. Weddings can also occur without a Mass.

 

[EasterJoy]

Actually, it does. No weddings on Sundays in the Province of Philadelphia. I went back and looked it up.

Where did you find that? I’m finding parishes that will not schedule nuptial Masses on Sundays, but nowhere that it says parishes are forbidden from allowing couples to exchange wedding vows at weekend Masses.

I could see why there could be boundaries like that, since the bishop may know he is short of priests and may legitimately want to limit the number of times a priest celebrates Mass in a day. I just don’t see where it is explicitly forbidden.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I imagine this would only work for an elopement sort of wedding with 2 witnesses.

 

[Phemie]

I imagine this would only work for an elopement sort of wedding with 2 witnesses.

I read about a couple who were very involved in ministry in their church. They wanted to be married in front of their whole community but of course couldn’t “invite” everyone to the wedding. They opted to marry at the Sunday Mass in which they were usually involved in ministry. There was no special set up like you would normally see at a wedding, the first couple of pews were reserved in the same way we would do when a Baptism is celebrated at Sunday Mass.

 

[babochka]

I attended a wedding like this, during a regular Sunday Mass. We were greeted upon entering the church and handed a small card with the bride and groom’s basic information and “Welcome to our Wedding” statement. This wasn’t my own parish, so I didn’t know the couple and I don’t know if the wedding was announced in advance. I thought it was beautiful and an unexpected treat.

 

[SMHW]

I read about a couple who were very involved in ministry in their church. They wanted to be married in front of their whole community but of course couldn’t “invite” everyone to the wedding. They opted to marry at the Sunday Mass in which they were usually involved in ministry. There was no special set up like you would normally see at a wedding, the first couple of pews were reserved in the same way we would do when a Baptism is celebrated at Sunday Mass.

We had a similar situation at my parish. This was an older couple, both of whom had lost their first spouses to cancer, who met through their mutual involvement in various parish ministries and activities. Their relationship was centered around the parish so they chose to marry at a regular Sunday liturgy.

 

[Gorgias]

Where did you find that?

It was in a memo that was sent to parishes in my diocese.

I’m finding parishes that will not schedule nuptial Masses on Sundays, but nowhere that it says parishes are forbidden from allowing couples to exchange wedding vows at weekend Masses.

I think the way it goes in my diocese is that it’s fair game on Saturdays, even at a time following the Anticipated Sunday Mass, but that it’s not permitted on Sunday.

I just don’t see where it is explicitly forbidden.

I’ve never seen the document, either. Just the diocesan memo explaining the rule.

 

[FrDavid96]

Where did you find that? I’m finding parishes that will not schedule nuptial Masses on Sundays, but nowhere that it says parishes are forbidden from allowing couples to exchange wedding vows at weekend Masses.

I could see why there could be boundaries like that, since the bishop may know he is short of priests and may legitimately want to limit the number of times a priest celebrates Mass in a day. I just don’t see where it is explicitly forbidden.

This is a matter of “particular law” for that specific diocese.

It might be communicated to the pastors in any number of ways, not necessarily something posted on a diocese website. Many (not all) diocese have a sort of “marriage handbook” that articulates particular laws. One way or another, such policies are always communicated to the pastors.