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Marriage Preparation
The Prenuptial Enquiry form is completed by the priest and signed by the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be. It is the local priest in the parish where you are currently living, or where you have lived for six months or more prior to your wedding who must complete this form. Make the appointment well in advance (no more than six months) bring along the various support documents, including a new certificate of baptism for each party.
Close AnswerIt is best to book a course six to eight months before the date of the wedding in order to get the maximum benefit and learning from attending the course and have sufficient time to process the information.
Close AnswerIt is not necessary to bring any documentation to the Marriage Preparation Course. All course materials will be supplied.
Close AnswerACCORD do not provide one day Marriage Preparation Courses or courses on DVD.
Close AnswerNo it is not necessary to have notified the State prior to attending a Marriage Preparation Course. In the south of Ireland you must give the State 3 months notice this must be given to the General Registrar’s Office. For details see http://www.groIreland.ie (link) In Northern Ireland you must give a minimum of 14 days notice to the Registrar in the district in which you are getting married. Notice forms must be completed by both the bride and the groom accompanied by full birth certificates. For details see http://www.groni.gov.uk (link)
Close AnswerIt is best to chat with the priest who is helping you with your paperwork and planning and get his advice regarding what type of marriage preparation he feels you might undertake. Some couples make the decision to attend the standard (nine hours) Accord marriage preparation course but if you are a couple from different faith backgrounds there are particular benefits from attending the Interchurch course. This course is specifically designed to explore the particular rewards of being an interchurch couple and will also look at strategies for dealing with any challenges they may encounter. Couples from different denomination or religious affiliation can have significant religious differences, the course will provide the opportunity to discuss this privately as a couple and will also explore how religious differences can facilitate growth.
For information on/to book these courses please contact Embrace, Holy Cross Diocesan Centre, Clonliffe Road, Dublin 3 - Phone Number 4784400 or Email marriagepreparation@interchurch.ie
The courses in Northern Ireland are run on a Tuesday from 7.00pm to 10.00pm and Sunday from 10.00am to 5.00pm. For information on/to book these courses please contact ACCORD NI Regional Office - Phone Number 028 90233002 or Email info@accordni.com.
Close Answer
No you can book on line and attend a Marriage Preparation Course in any of our 55 Centres throughout the country.
Close AnswerIt is best to check with your priest if the course you have in mind is acceptable to him as he is responsible for your preparation.
Close AnswerThe priest responsible for the wedding has an obligation under church law to ensure that each couple are adequately prepared for their wedding and married life. He can therefore elect to give the marriage preparation guidance to the couple himself but generally speaking the priest will give the couple information regarding formal courses which are run by people like ourselves in ACCORD http://www.ACCORD.ie It is therefore best to check with your priest in the first instance as to the type of preparation he feels you could undertake.
Close AnswerThe ACCORD publication "Planning your Wedding Day" will provide you will all the necessary information.
Close AnswerMarriage & Relationship Counselling
Yes, Clients who have completed counselling can return to ACCORD should they require support with their marriages/relationships in the future.
Close AnswerGenerally couples will be seen together. However in some circumstances i.e. Domestic Abuse counselling it may be appropriate for couples to be seen individually for a period of time or for the duration of counselling.
Close AnswerACCORD works with both couples and individuals. If an individual’s spouse/partner is not agreeable to attend counselling that individual should feel free to attend as an individual. Even if you are disappointed that your spouse will not come with you, coming to ACCORD can benefit you and your relationship.
Close AnswerACCORD is a non-profit organisation, but we do incur overheads in providing our service. To cover some of these costs we invite clients who are in a position to do so to make a voluntary donation based on their ability to pay. The voluntary donation per session will be agreed at the Needs Assessment Session. No one is turned away from ACCORD due to lack of money.
Close AnswerACCORD understands that on occasions couples and individuals may not be in a position to attend pre arranged counselling sessions. In such circumstances clients are asked to give as much notice as possible preferable 24 hours if possible, by phoning the centre. Cancellation of sessions is discussed with clients before they commence counselling with ACCORD.
Close AnswerInitially sessions tend to be weekly and last one hour. Longer breaks occur between sessions as deemed appropriate and agreed by clients and counsellor.
Close AnswerIt will depend on the demand for appointments in the centre you contact. Centres make every effort to organise appointments to have a Needs Assessment session as soon as possible after the initial contact with ACCORD. Client may also be offered an opportunity to attend another ACCORD centre (if convenient for them) if the waiting time is shorter in that centre. Overall the waiting time for an appointment can be very short and is usually no longer than a couple of weeks.
Close AnswerNo. ACCORD accepts and values clients irrespective of their religious or ethnic background.
Close AnswerIt is very important that couples establish a good therapeutic working relationship with their ACCORD Counsellor. Research in the field of counselling and therapy indicates that a positive therapeutic relationship enhances the outcome of counselling for clients. ACCORD selects and trains individuals who can work with clients in a non judgemental, warm, respectful, ethical and professional manner. If ACCORD clients find they feel unable to establish such a relationship with the counsellor who has been allocated to them, they are free to discuss any difficulties they are experiencing with the counsellor or request that another counsellor works with them.
Close AnswerGetting Married
Your fiancée’s previous civil marriage would have to be investigated for what is called a “lack of canonical form” i.e. when a baptised Catholic marries he/she must marry before a priest and two witnesses. When a Catholic marries in a registry office this “canonical form” is usually missing. However this has to be investigated by the local diocese either through the bishop’s office or the local ecclesiastical tribunal. They must ensure that there was no dispensation given or that the marriage was not sanated or convalidated at a later stage i.e. that the bishop didn’t heal or rectify what was lacking in the civil marriage. This process can vary from diocese to diocese. When the investigation is completed and if the dioceses are satisfied that the marriage was in fact invalid from a catholic point of view it will usually issue a letter to that effect. It is best to talk to your local priest who should be able to put you in touch with the person or office who deals with it in your particular diocese.
Close AnswerWhile the standard way of establishing freedom has been letters of freedom i.e. a letter from any parish you have lived in since you were 18 years old stating that there is no record of you having contracted marriage in their marriage registrar, it is usually acceptable if you have lived in a number of parishes or in different parts of the world to get a signed letter by a parent(s) or brother or sister stating that, to the best of their knowledge you have never been married before in either a religious or civil ceremony in any jurisdiction. Another possibility is to swear an affidavit before a Commissioner of Oaths attesting that you have never been married religiously or civilly in any jurisdiction. It is always best to check with your local priest with regard to methods of establishing freedom for marriage as practices vary from place to place See our link Church Documents and Civil Requirements for more information (link)
Close AnswerIt is envisaged that all Catholics would have received the Sacrament of Confirmation before being married in he Catholic Church. However, if this cannot be done without ‘grave inconvenience’ before you proposed marriage it should not stop you getting married. What is meant by ‘grave inconvenience’ is interpreted differently from diocese to diocese in various parts of the world. It is always best to check this out with the local priest where you are getting married as soon as possible, as some diocese can be quite insistent on confirmation before marriage.
Close AnswerThe regulations with regard to Sunday Weddings varies from diocese to diocese. It is best to contact your local priest or the local bishop’s office who will be able to inform you of the particular regulations in your diocese.
Close AnswerIf you and your husband are free to marry in the eyes of the Church, it is possible to have your civil marriage convalidated in the Church. This takes the form of a normal Church ceremony. The preparation and documentation is the same as any other couple getting married in the Church. If you talk to your local priest he should be able to give you more specific direction.
Close AnswerYes, a Catholic can marry a member of another Christian Church. He/she must write to the local bishop to request this permission. The Catholic party is asked to remain steadfast to their Catholic faith and do their best within the unity of their partnership to have whatever children they may have baptised and brought up in the Catholic faith. The Non-Catholic party is made aware of the promises the Catholic party makes. If you talk to your local priest he should be able to advise you. There are Inter-Church courses run in ACCORD Dublin, Dublin 3 – Phone Number 4784400 or Email marriagepreparation@interchurch.ie and in the North of Ireland – NI Regional Office (028 90233002) .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
Close AnswerIn order for a Catholic to marry somebody who is not baptised in any of the Christian Churches he/she has to write to the local bishop seeking a dispensation. In order for the dispensation to be granted the Catholic party is asked to remain steadfast to their catholic faith and do their best within the unity of their partnership to have whatever children they may have baptised and brought up in the Catholic faith. The Non-Catholic party is made aware of the promises the Catholic party makes. If you talk to your local priest he should be able to advise you.
Close AnswerThe normal or proper place for a Catholic to get married is their local parish church. However, if you find a catholic church in Ireland and a priest who is willing to celebrate your marriage there, you can with the permission of your own local parish priest get married there. The preparation and documentation are prepared by your local priest who sends them through your local bishop’s office to the bishop’s office in Ireland in whose diocese the marriage is being celebrated. They will then forward them to the parish church where you are to be married. With regard to the civil requirements you should check these out with the General Registrar’s Office. (Link)
Close AnswerIt is important to check with the priest if there is a fee for booking the Church. There is no Church policy on payment for a wedding or helping a couple with paperwork, however it is customary to make a financial gift to the church, as this varies from parish to parish it is best to check with your priest.
Close AnswerBaptismal certificate Confirmation certificate A letter of freedom Marriage Registration Form (MRF) – issued by the Civil Registrar (Link) See our link Church Documents and Civil Requirements for more information (link)
Close AnswerUnfortunately, if somebody chooses to get married in a civil ceremony it is not then possible to have a blessing and readings carried out by a priest afterwards as this could lead to the mistaken impression that the priest or Church was in someway being part of one of its members being married in a purely civil ceremony. This is to be distinguished from the practice in certain countries where a couple must marry civilly before their Church marriage to fulfil civil requirements. For a Catholic the place of marriage is the church so if you wish to have your marriage in the Catholic Church you should talk to your local priest.
Close AnswerThe Prenuptial Enquiry form is completed by the priest and signed by the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be. It is the local priest in the parish where you are currently living, or where you have lived for six months or more prior to your wedding who must complete this form. Make the appointment well in advance (no more than six months) bring along the various support documents, including a new certificate of baptism for each party.
Close Answer