Saint Margaret's Church - Burlington MA

“The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature, it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament.” [CCC, no. 1660]

In the Latin Church, the spouses, as ministers of Christ’s grace mutually confer upon each other the Sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church. Free consent of the couple is at the heart of the marriage celebration. Unity, permanent lifelong commitment, and openness to having and caring for children are essential to marriage.

Couples wishing to be married at St. Margaret’s must make arrangements with a priest or deacon, who may be from inside or outside the parish. Persons intending to officiate at a wedding who do not reside in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must first obtain permission from the Secretary of State. The wedding may be scheduled at any convenient time that the church is available, taking into account other previously scheduled liturgical celebrations. Arrangements for wedding music must be made through St. Margaret’s Music Director, Mary Meehan (781-935-7373). Wedding rehearsals are conducted by Carol Cook (978-667-5948).

A great deal of preparation is required for a wedding. So, arrangements should be made at least 6 months to one year prior to the wedding date. This is especially true if special permissions need to be obtained in order for the wedding to go forward, for example, if one party is non-Catholic. The more time available to plan for the wedding, the better, to ensure that all of the necessary administrative issues are completed in time for the wedding to take place as planned.

Couples planning to be married must take a Marriage Preparation course prior to the wedding. These courses are available at many places in the greater Boston area. Information regarding course availability may be found by calling the Family Life Office at 617-746-5800 or at www.familylifeboston.com.