Sacrament of Holy Matrimony:

Matrimony is a celebration of a lifelong commitment of faithful love. In the Sacrament of Matrimony, a man and a woman are united through Christ in such a way that they become one flesh, each belonging to one another and through marriage they live together in one that expresses the supreme example of human love. Therefore, as part of the sacramental life, the purpose of the sacrament matrimony is to help the couples in this life as they work to live in faithfulness to God because their love for each other reflects the enduring love between Christ and his Church.

If you are planning to enter the sacrament of matrimony at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church, please see the guidelines below that help you to prepare your wedding.
 

1. The Archdiocese of San Antonio strongly encourages a period of preparation for the marriage of not less than six months.  Therefore, at least six months prior to the wedding the couple strongly is encouraged to make an appointment with the pastor. In addition, they should not set a date, contract for a reception hall, print invitations, etc until they have met the priest and know the length of time that will be required for the preparation.

2. All Catholics who want to be married should have been fully initiated – that is, they should have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist. In case of lacking one of these sacraments, pastor must be consulted as soon as possible after the decision to get married is made.

3. Baptized Catholic must request a copy of their baptismal record with notation from the church where he/she was baptized. This Baptism record must not more than six months from the wedding date.

4. Catholic Weddings must always take place in a church, either the parish church of the bride or groom. In case of special reasons arise, another church may be selected, but only with the permission of the pastors involved.

5.  A wedding between two Catholics usually takes place during the mass, while a wedding between a catholic and a non-Catholic (a baptized or un-baptized person) usually is celebrated in a Nuptial Ceremony that does not include the mass.

6. In case one or both parties has/have had a previous marriage, whether civil or a church marriage, and if a Declaration of Nullity is required, therefore no wedding date may be set until an official declaration from the Archdiocesan Tribunal is received.

7. There are a few days in the liturgical year that weddings are prohibited for the good reasons of the holy mother of the church, such as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, etc. In addition, there are also other liturgical seasons that demand somber spirit of the liturgy, Lenten season for instance. Therefore, if the wedding date is selected during the liturgical year in which somber spirit of liturgy is observed, it will affect the spirit of the weddings. For instance, flowers will be excluded in the wedding ceremony.

8. A marriage license of the state is required and it is a mandatory for the couple who wants to have a wedding to obtain it from the county court. The priest/deacon must have the license in his possession at least three days prior to the wedding ceremony.