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MARRIAGE

yg5yk85emjxem5im5gmuym51l4l.pngThe Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy.

According to the Canon Law, in order for a marriage to be valid, there are certain requirements:

-At least one of the spouses must be a baptized Catholic
-The wedding must be celebrated in Catholic church in the presence of a Catholic priest/deacon/bishop and in the     presence of two other witnesses
-The two spouses must be free to be married (e.g., no prior valid marriages)
-They must be psychologically mature and capable of consenting to the marriage; and they must understand the nature   of Catholic marriage (i.e., exclusive, permanent, and open to having children).

Sacramental Preparation:

At the time of your formal engagement, please contact the parish office to make an appointment with the pastor to begin the preliminary arrangements. This needs to be done no later than six (6) months prior to your intended wedding day. Kindly contact the Parish Office: Our Lady of Sorrows, Essex at (860) 767-1284 or office@stocpct.org; St. Joseph’s, Chester at (860) 526-5495 or office@stocpct.org.

To get more information Members of our parish can click here.

NOT A MEMBER OF OUR PARISH?

For more information on getting married in our church please click here. 

For Marriage Information Form please click here: Online Form   

Wedding Mass:

For those getting married in the Catholic Church, the highpoint of the wedding day is the wedding liturgy, where bride and groom become husband and wife in the lifelong covenant of marriage (a sacrament for baptized Christians). Thoughtful, prayerful planning and participation in your Catholic wedding ceremony will bring many blessings to your married life.

Click the Following:

First Reading Second Reading Gospel Reading Prayers of the Faithful
Responsorial Psalm      

Schedule of fees:
Donation for the Church $750.00
Payable at Registration $200.00
Payable at the Time of the Rehearsal $550.00

Make online payment here to St. Joseph's Church

Make online payment here to Our Lady of Sorrows Church 


MUSIC
Make arrangements for music with our Music Director three months prior to wedding date. Music Director for Our Lady of Sorrows Church is Irene Listorti: (860) 388-9884 or musicessex@stocpct.org. Music Director for St. Joseph’s church is Wendy Hummel: (860) 559-9807 or musicchester@stocpct.org. Fees for Music Director and other musicians are determined by them and paid directly to them. Should alternative musicians/music be used, a fee of $ 50.00 is still payable to our Music Director.

MARRIAGE LICENCE:
The marriage license can be obtained at the respective Town Hall 3 months prior to the wedding date. 

Due to the regular Mass schedule there are NO SUNDAY WEDDINGS and the latest a Saturday wedding can be held is 2:00 pm.
Contact the office if you would like a weekday wedding.