THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE AT ST. MARGARET OF SCOTLAND CHURCH
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish extends our congratulations on your engagement. We are blessed to have the opportunity to assist you during this sacred time of your life as you prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
Undoubtedly, you have many questions concerning your wedding arrangements. We know that both of you will take an active part in planning the liturgy of your wedding ceremony. Even more important than the preparations for your wedding day, are the preparations for your marriage. Your wedding day is precisely that – a day; your marriage, however, is a lifetime! When you commit yourselves to each other in Christian Marriage, in accordance with the laws of the Church, you administer a sacrament to each other. Marriage enables you to be a source of Divine Love, flowing from your love for each other and into the lives of your family. The sacred words and gestures of your wedding are the beginning of a great ministry of life- giving love, based on the Gospel, and dependent on the power of God’s grace at work within you to live your Sacrament always.
May this time of preparation for marriage be one of deepening love and understanding in your relationship with each other and with God. It is our hope that the following information will be helpful in preparing for the celebration of your life together in Christ.
All couples wishing to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage in the Diocese of Wilmington should be registered in the parish and begin the marriage preparations at least 6 months prior to the wedding date.
Church and Civil Requirements
A bouquet to the Blessed Mother statue as an expression of love and devotion of a Catholic bride and groom may take place after communion and before the final blessing. It is not common at a mixed marriage, but it can be done is desired by the Catholic bride or groom.