Matrimony
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Sacrament of Matrimony
1601 "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."
1604 God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love.90 Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes. And this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: "And God blessed them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it."
1605 Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone."92 The woman, "flesh of his flesh," his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus represents God from whom comes our help.93 "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh."94 The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh."95
For sure, you have many questions about how to get married by the Catholic Church, what the requirements might be, and what procedures are
Dear Couple,
May the peace and grace of Jesus our Lord who unites us in his love be with you. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, rejoices with and at the same time
congratulates you on your intention to marry. This is an exciting time as you prepare consecrate your love in the Sacrament of Marriage before the altar
of Christ. We wish to join with you in this excitement and to help you prepare to celebrate this sacrament.
there for you to enter this covenant of permanent love. Because of these questions and others you might have, we at OLPH Parish have prepared
the attached guidelines below to answer the most commonly asked questions. We hope these guidelines will help alleviate some of the stress you may be feeling as you prepare for this important day. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please feel free to contact the parish office for clarification. (423) 622—7232.
Once again, congratulations! May the Holy Spirit who the love itself guide you both during this excitement process. Stay close to Jesus.
In Domina Nostra, Beata Virgo Maria de Perpetuo Succursu
Fr. Arthur Torres Barona
Pastor.
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Matrimony Guidelines & ProceduresDocuments and preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Parish
a. Fill out the online application below.
b. Call Pastor/Deacon (church office) to set up initial meeting. Both parties must be present.
c. You both need your Baptism Certificate (even if one of the parties is baptized at another denomination) recently issued
within the 6 months previous to the Sacrament of Marriage.
d. Confirmation Certificate (IF you have done it already).
e. You both need to participate at the Engagement/Picture of Love Retreat provided by the
Diocese. https://dioknox.org/events/picture-of-love-sept-2024
f. Civil Marriage Certificate (if you have done it already) or Marriage License Copy (Please ask the priest about it).
g. Here at OLPH you and your fiancée will undergo a 5-month prep (one talk per month) before the actual ceremony
happens. Please discuss this with the parish priests or deacon in your initial meeting.
Liturgy and Celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage
a. The celebration of your wedding is done according to your criteria. It can be done within the context of Mass or outside
Mass (Liturgy of the Word).
b. The readings are chosen by you and your intended spouse. Keep in mind that you need to choose a person to read at
your wedding.
c. The songs must be liturgical. Please ask the priest or the Music Director at OLPH what your options are.
d. Unity Candles or the Sea Sands are NOT permitted at OLPH Parish. These worldly practices are not part of
our Catholic weddings, rather they belong to the New Age Movement.
e. If you are bringing an outside priest or deacon to celebrate your wedding from outside the Diocese of Knoxville, he MUST
send his letter of good standing to the Diocese of Knoxville to be reviewed prior to your marriage.
Wedding Rehearsal and Sacrament of Confession
a. The day before you get married, there will be a wedding rehearsal with all your participants. Make sure they are present
for it. Talk to the celebrant priest about it.
b. Since you are celebrating such an important sacrament, please consider to do your confession prior to your wedding day.
You can do it the same day of rehearsal or another suitable day. You can also make an appointment for confession or just
follow the normal parish Confession schedule.
Wedding Schedule
a) Our weddings are done on Saturday at 11am, 12pm, and 1pm. If you decide to get married another day, please talk to the
priest about it.
b. Please note: During the Season of Lent, Sundays, or National Holidays we do NOT celebrate weddings.
Stipends, Offerings and Fees
a. Suggested Offering to the Church. Registered Parishioners $450 dollars. Non- registered parishioners and outside the
Diocese: $550 dollars.
b. Pianist and/or cantor from our parish: $150 dollars.
c. Priest/Deacon stipend suggested: $150 dollars.
C. Flowers: Please talk to the receptionist about it. There are two suggested options for it.