To arrange an appointment to discuss your marriage, please read these guidelines.
Then, call the parish office at 337-0990.  Guidelines for the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony.

 

Marriage in the Roman Catholic Church implies that at least one party in the marriage is a practicing Catholic and both parties are free to marry. Weddings celebrated at the Church of St. John the Baptist require that the Catholic partner in the marriage be a member of the Church of St. John the Baptist for at least six months prior to scheduling a wedding.

Membership
To be a member of the Church of St. John the Baptist means that the person has: registered with the parish, assists at Sunday worship with the community on a regular basis, and has given evidence of financial support of the local church.  The fact that an individual while still a minor was baptized and confirmed at the Church of St. John the Baptist does not of itself indicate membership.

Catholics outside the community
Roman Catholics from outside the community who for whatever reasons might wish a church wedding at the Church of St. John the Baptist need to present evidence - usually a letter - that they are registered members of another parish and have the permission of their respective pastors.
Scheduling a Marriage

The Catholic partner(s) who is a member(s) of the Church of St. John the Baptist needs to contact the pastor at least six months in advance of a proposed date.

The Diocese of Syracuse requires that the couple to be married attend a Pre-Cana Conference. For the sake of the liturgical life of the Church of St. John the Baptist, Saturday weddings need to begin no later than 1:30 pm.

Weddings may be celebrated on Friday evenings. Normally, weddings do not take place during Lent. Weddings may be celebrated as an exchange of vows; a Mass is not required.

Stipends and Donations
The usual fee for a wedding at the Church of St. John the Baptist is $350.00.

This will include:

• Use of Church

• Priest’s Stipend

• Printed materials

It is not necessary to have altar servers. All arrangements for wedding music selections and/or other musicians will be made directly with the Church Organist, Anthony Stavola.  He can be called on 315-335-3220.

If the Catholic person(s) being married is from another parish, is scheduling a marriage six months prior to the anticipated date, and has his or her pastor's permission to marry, the fee is $500 to the Church of St. John the Baptist which is providing the physical environment for the sacrament.


For people contemplating matrimony at the Church of St. John the Baptist :
Read and be able to fulfill the marriage requirements as stated in this brochure.
Schedule a wedding at least six months prior to the anticipated date.
The people contemplating marriage are the people who are making the arrangements.


Some thoughts about the sacrament
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Matrimonial Consent
"To be free to marry means not being under any constraint; not impeded by any natural or church law. The Church holds the exchange of consent between spouses to be the indispensable element that 'makes the marriage'.

The priest or deacon who assists at the celebration of a marriage receives the consent of spouses in the name of the Church and gives the blessing of the Church. Sacramental marriage is a liturgical act and is appropriately celebrated in a public liturgy in a church building.

Marriage creates rights and duties in the Church between spouses and toward their children. Since marriage is a state of life in the church, certainty about it is necessary (hence the obligation of witnesses). The public character of the consent protects the 'I do' once given and helps the spouses to remain faithful to it."