Matrimony

The engaged couple should call the parish office to request an appointment with a priest or a deacon preferably six months before the wedding date in order to begin the preparation process. Updated copies of the certificate of baptism of the bride and the groom are needed.

Steps to follow for the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony at Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church:
  
1) Initial meeting with priest or deacon

 The couple meets with the priest or deacon, usually at least six months prior to the tentative date of the wedding, to receive general information. 
 
During this meeting, the marriage preparation process will be explained. The prenuptial questionnaire is filled out under oath to examine the status of the prospective bride and groom as well as their freedom and capacity to marry.

   
2) Set up date of matrimony

1. If no major issues need to be resolved prior to the wedding, the couple may choose the date and time of the marriage ceremony. 

2. The couple needs to have enough time to obtain updated copies of their certificates of baptism, as well as any other required documents, and to complete the marriage preparations. 

3. At Saint Charles Borromeo Church, the church sanctuary is available for weddings:
   1. on Fridays at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. and
   2. on Saturdays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

4. Saint Charles Church offers matrimony group celebrations twice a year: one in July and one in December on a Saturday at 2 p.m.

5. We strongly recommend that couples wait to reserve a venue for the wedding reception until the priest or deacon has confirmed that no major issues need to be resolved prior to the wedding.

1. Engaged encounter: English-language prenuptial preparation talks for engaged couples who are not living together. The encounter takes place on a weekend. Overnight stay required with separate accommodations for prospective brides and grooms. It starts at 7 p.m. on Friday and ends at 4 p.m. on Sunday. This option costs $225 per couple, which includes two nights lodging, materials, stipends for the speakers, and several meals. To register preferred dates and venues for the retreat, visit www.familylifeministryhouston.org or call Family Life Ministry at 713-741-8730.

2. Marriage preparation in English at this parish: Ask Deacon Charles Conant (281-979-3554) or Deacon Thomas Gandara (713-899-8627) if they have time to conduct a one-on-one marriage preparation, otherwise the couple will have to attend one of the group programs offered by the Archdiocese at www.familylifeministryhouston.org

3. Marriage preparation in Spanish at this parish: Just show up the following Monday at 7 p.m. in the Building Trailer "A" at Saint Charles Borromeo Church. If either party is already a baptized Catholic but has not received First Communion, notify those in charge of the preparation of the need to receive First Communion on the day of the marriage. Marriage preparation is delivered by Jesus and Martina Pacheco (832-633-0562) and Pepe Romo (832-215-9309).

4. Conferencia para novios:  A Spanish-language preparation for engaged couples who are not living together or who have been living together for less than two years. Saturday overnight stay is required with separate accommodations for brides and grooms. The event starts on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and ends by 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The conference takes place at Cameron Retreat at Saint Dominic Center, 2403 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77021. This program costs $150 per couple. For available dates and registration, please visit www.familylifeministryhouston.org or call Family Life Ministry at 713-741-8730.

5. Con-validation in Spanish: The Spanish-language weekend experience is designed for civilly married or cohabitating couples who are seeking a sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church. This program is offered at the Cameron Retreat at Saint Dominic Center, 2403 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77021. The event takes place on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No overnight stay is required. This program costs $125 per couple. For available dates and registration, please visit www.familylifeministryhouston.org or call Family Life Ministry at 713-741-8730.

6. Con-validation in English: The English-language weekend experience is designed for civilly married or cohabitating couples who are seeking a sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church.  It is offered in different parishes within the city. Couples should register well in advance of their wedding date. This program costs $125 per couple. For available dates and registration, please visit www.familylifeministryhouston.org or call Family Life Ministry at 713-741-8730.

1. Certificates of Baptism: Obtain an original baptismal certificate (dated in the last six months) for both the bride and the groom from the parish where they were baptized.

2. Marriage License or Civil Certificate of Marriage: The couple must obtain a marriage license at any County Court House of Texas. It is validated for 90 days only and can only be used 72 hours after it is issued. In other words, the license is not valid for the first 72 hours and is invalid if the marriage does not take place within 90 days of the date issued. (Call Harris County at 713-755-6405). The marriage license must be brought to the church office prior to the wedding. The priest or deacon will sign the marriage license on the day of the ceremony.

3. Testimony or Affidavit of Free Status: Before the ceremony, the prospective bride and groom must each bring two relatives or friends who have known them for at least ten years. These witnesses will sign under oath a document before a priest or deacon stating that the bride and groom, as far as they know, are free to marry. We need two witnesses for the groom and two witnesses for the bride.

4. Previous civil marriages: Absence of Canonical Form. If a Catholic has entered marriage before a justice of the peace (or even before a Protestant minister) without obtaining permission (called a “dispensation”) from the Catholic bishop of the diocese, then that marriage would not be recognized as valid by the Catholic Church because of a “lack of form.” Therefore, if the Catholic’s wedding was solely a civil ceremony, or ritual performed in another faith without the Church’s permission, then the union can be declared invalid. But it is necessary to bring all the previous marriage licenses and the divorce decrees to prove and state in writing that those marriages were invalid in the Church by filling out the Absence of Canonical Form paperwork.

5. Mixed religion marriage: If the bride or groom does not profess the Roman Catholic faith, the Catholic party will need to apply for a mixed religion marriage permission or dispensation. The priest or deacon will fill out the application form and send it to the archbishop’s office.

6. Marriages outside the Archdiocese: The completed marriage packet is sent to the Chancellor's office including baptismal certificates issued within 6 months and affidavits of free status (2 each for the bride and groom). Indicate the diocese of the wedding location church and a letter (fully addressed) from the pastor of the couple to the pastor of the parish where the wedding will take place granting permission for the couple to be married outside the jurisdiction of the parish must also be included.

5) Donations

How much does it cost to get married in the Catholic Church? Nothing. Sacraments are not for sale. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2121) makes clear that the First Commandment forbids simony, which is the buying or selling of sacred things. It’s appropriate, however, for the faithful to share their joy and make a generous contribution to support the Church and its ministers.
 
Christ’s faithful have an obligation to provide for the needs of the Church and for the worthy support of its ministers (Canon 222). God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).

There is a fee for the usage of the facilities for private ceremonies. It must be remembered that Sacraments and Sacramentals can never be charged for, although offerings freely given can be accepted (cf. cann. 848, 1181, 1264). The minister must always assure that the faithful are not deprived of the Sacraments or Sacramentals due to poverty (cf. can. 848). This is especially important with relation to Weddings and Funerals.

While there are sometimes legitimate Administrative Fees associated with Sacraments and Sacramentals, these Fees must be proportional to the actual expense incurred by the Parish and must be waived in the case of need (Galveston-Houston Pastoral Manual K-4 VIII).