Our Lady Help of Christian's Parish of Newton, Massachusetts

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Together you have decided to begin a great journey of love. The Christian Community of Our Lady’s rejoices with you, your families and your friends on your decision to be married. The contents of this section have been designed to help you prepare for the celebration of your wedding. Please feel free to call on us at any time if you have any questions.

After you are married and settled into your new home, I urge you to seek out the parish where you live. Introduce yourselves to the staff of that parish, register as a parishioner there, and most importantly be an active parishioner.

Our prayers and best wishes are with you on this journey!

Sincerely,
Rev. John Sassani

Marriage Preparation
Many people will be involved in your preparation for this happy occasion. Each will have something important to offer. All are motivated by a single desire, that you will be happy together for the rest of your lives.

The first step is to call Jen Suehs-Vassel (617-527-7560 x219) to schedule the date and time of your wedding. You will then schedule a brief meeting with Fr. John or Msgr. Dennis. You will need to bring recent copies (dated within the past 6 months) of each of your baptism certificates to this meeting. You will then be asked to take part in a marriage preparation program, sometimes called Pre-Cana. It is conducted by teams of lay people who discuss with you issues of communication, family life, intimacy, and role expectations. Visit http://www.bostoncatholic.org for program dates and times.

You will also be invited to attend a Liturgy and Music Evening that is designed to help you prepare the actual wedding ceremony. (Follow this link for the 2012 schedule.) The pastor and our music director will conduct this evening. They will go over the options for the ceremony such as readings, choices of prayers, etc., and they will demonstrate some of the music that is available for weddings. This will allow you to prepare a wedding celebration that reflects your own wishes as well as following the tradition of the Catholic Church.

The parish is very pleased to provide the services of a wedding coordinator, Sr. Marian Batho, C.S.J. She will conduct the wedding rehearsal and then be with you on the day of the wedding. She makes sure that everything is set up as you want, and she helps organize the procession, and is available for all sorts of last minute details. You will schedule your rehearsal after you meet with one of our priests and when you confirm your wedding date and time

Usually Fr. John or Msgr. Dennis will be available to preside at your marriage. Visiting priests and deacons are also welcome. Please ask them to contact us. If the priest/deacon lives outside of Massachusetts, he must obtain a special permission from the State House. Our parish office can help you with this.

If you are marrying someone who is of a different faith, we are happy to welcome his/her minister or rabbi, and prepare a service that will be sensitive to both religious traditions. It is also possible to celebrate this marriage in another church or sacred space. The pastoral staff will assist you in this regard.

If your address changes during the time of your engagement, please notify the parish office, so you will be sure to receive all updated information.