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SAINT PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCHARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON·HOUSTON

4918 COCHRAN STREETHOUSTON, TEXAS 77009

TEL. (713) 695-0631REV. TOM HAWXHURST, PASTOR

Wedding Date: Before making any arrangements, a couple should announce to their parishpriest their intention to marry, at least six months prior to the date they have tentativelychosen as the wedding day. This is in accord with the Diocesan Marriage Directives for receivingthe Sacrament of Matrimony. The Church wishes to protect marriage and family life in everyway possible and to be certain that couples are fully prepared and able to make a life-longcommitment to each other and the children God may give them. The Directives are not meantto create problems ordifffculfles'fof the people-out rath-er-to fostersnccessful-marri-ages--and-families.

PLEAS NOTE:

It is strongly recommended that persons should have completed their eighteenth birthdayc "~ rt. .~~.

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As part of their marriage preparation, the couple will need the following documents:

1. A recent Baptism Certificate from the Church of Baptism- not the original. This certificatewill be put into your Marriage File; it will not be returned to you. It should be requested at leastsix months prior to your wedding date.

2. Certificates of Holy Communion and Confirmation- your originals are fine. The Priest /Deacon will obtain the information needed from them; if necessary he will make copies andgive you back the Originals.

3. For couples who are presently in a civil union and want their marriage to be a sacramentor either one or both of the partners have had previous unions, please bring the followingdocuments with you:

License of CivilMarriage if you already have one; also-

» License(s) of any Previous Marriages:~ Divorce Documents of any Previous Marriage:~ Any Certificates for Annulments:>- Death Certificates of former spouse(s)

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ALL DOCUMENTS, with the exception of the Baptism Certificates, will be returned to you. ThePriest will obtain the necessary information from them and note it in your file. If necessary, hewill make a copy of some of the documents.

APPOINTMENT: BEFOREyou book a hall or other venue, PLEASECALLthe Parish Office (713)695-0631, and leave your names, home, cellular and work phone numbers. The Priest / Deaconwill personally call you back to schedule an appointment. Please bring your documents to theappointment. If, however, you are being prepared at another Church or on a military base,please have that Priest contact the Pastor of St. Patrick prior to your initial appointment.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION:The Priest / Deacon will interview the couple and will conduct a Pre-Marital Investigation. From the information gathered from the interview, he and the couple willdiscuss what preparations the couple should make for marriage. These preparations may

---- include-one or-more of-tl:l~follow-i!"lg-:-- -_

Marriage Sponsor Couple Program: Sessions are meeting with trained married couplesto help engaged couples learn about married life. Sponsor Couples teach the engagedcouples about living out their commitment by using exercises which ask the couple toshare their answers and to be open to each other's responses.

Engaged Encounter: is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. To register,you must go on the website www.archgh.org/family life, or call Family Life Ministry2403 E. Holcombe, Tel. (713) 741-8706 for available dates. There is a fee for theprogram.

Natural Family Planning: If you have questions or need any assistance, please contactJoe DeVet, NFPConsultant in Family Life: 281-723-5686

PMI PROFILEor FOCCUS(Methods of assessing the couple's readiness for Marriage).Fellow-up appointments with the Priest / Deacon:

BOOKING THE WEDDING DATE:Wedding Ceremonies are normally scheduled for 1 pm or 3 pm on Saturdays. Please

specify if you want the Wedding Ceremony to be celebrated in English or Spanish orBilingual.

The Church Usage Fee for Registered Parishioners* for a Marriage Celebration is$300.00 * These are Parishioners who have been registered for at least six months priorto the date, of picking up a Marriage Packet.

The Fee for Non-Parishioners is $400.00Payment in full will reserve your Wedding Date. A check may be made out to:"St. Patrick Catholic Church"

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The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CELEBRANT:A Priest / Deacon from St Patrick will officiate at your Wedding, unless schedules do notpermit it or you ask for another Catholic clergy to do so and the Pastor of St Patrick maydelegate another Priest to officiate.

WEDDING LITURGY:The Priest/Deacon will meet with you to help you plan your wedding. You may ask amember of your family, a friend or someone in your Wedding Party to do the Readingsand the Responsorial Psalm. Suggested readings can be found in the book "TOGETHERFORLIFE". Please discuss with the clergy how you want your family and friends topartici pate.

MARRIAGE LICENSE:In order for the Priest / Deacon to perform the ceremony, couples must obtain aMarriage license. When you apply for your Marriage license you will be asked if youwish to be Married by a Justice of the Peace. Your response to this question should beno, since the Priest / Deacon will be the one performing the ceremony. Please bring theMarriage License to the Priest / Deacon at least a week before your wedding date.Marriage Licenses became valid 72 hours after they are issued, so be sure to obtain yourlicense on time. Also, please give the names of two persons who will serve as thewitnesses for your Marriage. If a Marriage License is not provided, the MarriageCeremony will not be performed. Requirements for obtaining a Marriage License mayhave changed, be sure to contact the County Clarks Office for the latest information.

REHEARSAL:Please contact the church office to schedule a rehearsal. Bridesmaids, Groomsmen.Musicians, Lectors, Altar Servers and Sponsors of Gifts (i.e. Arras, Lasso, etc.) shouldattend this rehearsal. Forty-five minutes are set aside for the rehearsal. It is yourresponsibility to have everyone there on time. A-Wedding-€00f-dinat0f-wHI-be assign-to-direct your rehearsal. This person will also be present at the Wedding Ceremony toassist the Priest / Deacon and to see that everyone is in place so that the WeddingCeremony may begin on time.

ALTAR SERVERS and EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:If you have a family member or friend who is an Altar Server, you may invite them toparticipate in your wedding ceremony. This person or another of your choice may serveas the Cross Bearer for the entrance procession. Couples who want a Mass, please alsolook for EMHCswho can help at your Mass.

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PHOTOS / VIDEO:If you contract a Professional Photographer, and they need information, please ask thatthey contact the Priest / Deacon Tel. (713) 695-0631 during the regular Office Hours,Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m., - 6 p.m.

You will have 15 minutes for Photos at the end of your ceremony.Only one person will be allowed to make a Video Tape of your wedding ceremony. Thisperson must be in place at the beginning of your ceremony and must be stationaryduring the ceremony.

Please do not use Bright Lights; Do not stop the Wedding Procession; Do not stand onthe Altar or Platform; Photographer must be Stationary.

-DECQRA'l"IQNS: -~--You may hire a florist to assist you with Flower, or you may lido it yourself" whateveryou decide please keep in mind the following:

The Altar is not very big. Usually one large arrangement and two smaller ones aresufficient.

Flowers or Bows may also decorate the Pews in the center aisle. These should befastened on with ribbons, tape or rubber bands. DO NOT use Thumb Tacks, Nails, PushPin, or anything that will damage the surface of the pews.

Other Masses may be scheduled after your ceremony, if you do not hire a Florist, pleasemake arrangements for someone to be responsible for removing the decorations afteryour ceremony~

No Rice, Flower Petals, Bird seeds, Balloons, Bubbles are allowed in or outside thechurch or its grounds for safety reasons. Please Note: Our Church does not havedressing room facilities:

MUSIC:If you wish, you may arrange to have Music & Hymns for your ceremony you will needto contract someone. (A list of the Musicians in our Parish is included in this handout.Please contact them for fees and availability.) You may also contract someone fromanother parish if you wish. Our parish has a Piano that is available for their use. If theperson you contract wishes to come and see the Piano, simply ask them to call theSecretary @ (713-695-0631) during Office hours in order to schedule a time for the visit.

You may hire a Choir, Pianist or Soloist to provide the music.

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The following provide music at the regular Sunday Masses at St Patrick's. They are familiar withHymns that are appropriate for the Celebrations. Please contact them after Mass for availabilityand fees:

ENGLISH CHOIRS CORO EN ESPANOlMasses 9:00 a.m. & 10.30 a.m. Misa 7:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

1 -Martin Gonzales 713-694-3117 Ivan Vidal 713-374-5082

2 -Albert P. Reyes 713-201-2231

LITURGICAL MUSICIANSDavid Castillo - 713-206-5066

-Sylvia-Reyes-+1-3-881-l-51-3----~---

LITURGICAL MUSIC-PIANISTBertha Salazar - 281-580-8696

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