| Sacrament
of Reconciliation |
| There are no two persons who would
be more conscious of the need of forgiveness and
reconciliation than a couple preparing for the Sacrament
of Marriage. For this reason we encourage reception
of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of your
marriage preparation to benefit more fully from
the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage. |
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| Time and Place of the Wedding |
| Dates and hours are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Time is allocated to provide dignity and reverence, and to avoid congestion and conflict with other parish ceremonies. Kindly consult with one of the priests. The wedding ceremony is to be held in the parish church or at the place of worship of another faith community as the case may be. Permission is not granted for garden weddings, ceremonies in parks or other outdoor settings. |
|
| At Mass or Outside of Mass? |
| While couples are encouraged to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage within a Mass, it is also possible to have a ceremony outside of Mass. This is a decision best reached in consultation with the priest/deacon who is preparing you for marriage. |
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| Punctuality |
| Your punctuality is more than a matter of courtesy to your guests, attendants and the clergy you have asked to officiate. It is a necessity out of consideration for others. Please understand that the priest or deacon witnessing your vows may be forced to tailor your ceremony to accommodate your lateness with other scheduled ceremonies that same day. Rehearsals are, likewise, fitted into a time schedule that includes commitments before and after your own. |
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|
Ecumenical and Inter-religious Marriages |
An ecumenical wedding joins in marriage two
baptized members of different Christian churches.
An inter-religious marriage involves a baptized
Christian and a non-Christian believer.
We encourage ecumenical and inter-religious couples
to confer with the clergy of both faith communities.
In every way, the integrity of both individual's
faith convictions should be respected.
Provision can be made for a Catholic to be married
before clergy of another faith community. Clergy
of other churches and synagogues are always welcome
to participate in ecumenical weddings.
Any decisions in this regard should always be discussed with the parish priest early in your preparations. |
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| Relatives and Friends as Officiants |
Your relatives and friends who are Catholic
priests or deacons are always welcome to officiate
at your wedding. Please let the priest of our
parish know about this decision as soon as it
is definite.
It is advisable that the guest priest or deacons conduct his own rehearsal. Please confirm this with the parish. |
|
| Altar Servers |
| If you have relatives or friends who are altar servers at their home parish and would like to serve, please advise the officiating priest. |
|
| Music at Your Wedding |
| You are welcome to bring guest musicians to play at your wedding. Please consult with the priest officiating at your wedding concerning selection of music appropriate for the occasion.
|
|
| Flowers |
We rely upon your good judgment in arranging
for flowers and/or ferns. Please consider the
necessity of mobility on the part of the members
of the bridal party. We kindly request that no
flowers be placed on or in front of the altar
itself. There may be more than one wedding on
the day of your marriage and you may wish to contact
the other couple(s) and arrange to share the cost
of flowers.
A "runner" for the main aisle may be rented
from your florist. The length of the middle
aisle is
50 feet. Try to avoid "paper" runners. They tend
to trip people as they come and go.
Customarily, flowers provided for weddings are left to decorate the church for the liturgies which follow.
|
|
| Photographers |
| Photographers are welcome at your wedding. However,
they ought not delay or interfere with any part
of the liturgical ceremony. Please ensure that
your photographer receives the stipulated guidelines
for Holy Cross Church. |
|
| Traffic |
| Wedding guests are asked to park in the parish parking lot in such a manner as not to obstruct the flow of traffic. |
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| Civil License |
| You must be a resident in the islands for 48 hours before applying for a marriage license. Sworn affidavits are required to establish the person's freedom to marry. A passport or driver's license AND birth certificate will suffice as identification. The cost of the license is $100, and once you have applied, there is a waiting period of 2 to 3 days to obtain the marriage license. All copies of documents sent to the Marriage Registrar's Office must be notarized. Also required is a Search of Registry in your Country/State which certifies that there is no record of marriage. |
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| Donations |
| The offering to the parish (Holy Cross Church) is $250. It is usually provided on your rehearsal day. You will certainly appreciate that everything we buy on island is quite expensive and that the Mission is still young and requires a lot of support. We invite you to be as generous as your means allow. |
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| Pre-marital Check List |
- Letter of permission to marry at Holy Cross Church, Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands, B.W.I. from the
pastor of either bride or groom.
- Sworn personal statement of freedom to marry
(Pre-Nuptial Investigation Form 1). Priest receives
testimony and witnesses signatures.
- Recently issued Certificate of Baptism* for
all baptized persons getting married. Baptism
Certificates for marriage purposes should include
all notations.
- Record of Confirmation.
- Sworn testimony of either a priest/deacon
or two lay persons who have known you personally
long enough, attesting that you are free to
marry (Pre-Nuptial Investigation Form 2). Priest/deacon
administers oath, takes testimony and witnesses
signatures.
- If previously married, death certificate or
Church declaration of annulment. These documents
must be provided before a marriage date can
be set.
- Marriage preparation certificate (Pre-Cana/Engaged
Encounter/other).
- In case of ecumenical or inter-religious marriages,
application for appropriate dispensations.
- Marriage License from Local Registrar in Grand
Turk.
The priest from your parish who meets with
you for the Pre-Nuptial Investigation will indicate
whether other documentation or dispensations need
to be obtained.
| COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS SHOULD REACH
US ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE OF WEDDING DATE; ORIGINAL
DOCUMENTS BEFORE WEDDING TAKES PLACE. |
Note: *These
documents must be issued or signed within six
months of the date of the wedding. They serve
as contemporary proof of one's freedom to marry
in the Church. After every church wedding notification
of the wedding is forwarded to the church of baptism
and entered into their Baptismal Registers.
Holy Cross Catholic Church
P.O. Box 70, Grand Turk
Turks and Caicos Islands
British West Indies
Revised: 30 Nov, 2004.
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