Marriage Resources
Contact Information
Sandee Monahan, Wedding Coordinator
724-775-4174
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Discover the beauty and grandeur of the vocation
to love and the service of life - Pope John Paul II
Wedding Planning at St. Frances Cabrini
When you call the rectory to set a wedding date, you will receive a planning booklet that walks you through all the logistics of celebrating your wedding in our beautiful Church and another booklet to help you design the liturgy that you and your fiancé feel will best articulate your prayer to God for your life together. Our parish wedding coordinator is Sandee Monahan.
Marriage Instruction
Preparing for marriage can be done through;
- private instructions with Fr. Kleppner or Ellen Cavanaugh, OR
- by attending an Engaged Encounter (Friday at 8 pm to Sunday at 5 pm several times each year http://www.engagedencounter.org/
or contact Brian or Nancy at
eeweekends@att.net), OR
- attending the Pre-Cana Lecture series at St. Mary of Mercy in downtown Pittsburgh (four 2 hour presentations). See
http://www.diopitt.org/serves_premarriage_program.pdf
for schedule of classes and contact your parish priest to enroll.
Marriage Encounter
See the Retreat or Family Bulletin Boards for dates and contact information on these incredible weekends designed to make good marriages great or go to
http://www.wwme.org/.
Retrouvaille... A Lifeline for Married Couples
See the Retreat or Family Bulletin Boards for dates and contact information on this healing weekend experience for troubled marriages or go to
http://www.retrouvaille.org/.
Natural Family Planning
NFP is a holistic way to bring together spirituality and our physical expressions of intimacy. Education programs are held each month at Mercy Hospital. See http://www.diopitt.org/education/nfp%20methods.pdf for more information.
Ministry to Separated and Divorced Catholics
Announcements of area support groups and an annual day of reflection for seperated and divorced Catholics is found on the family bulletin board.
FAQ's ABOUT VALIDATING
AND ANNULLING MARRIAGE
How Does The Church Understand Marriage?
Marriage forms a relationship "which by divine will and in the eyes of society too is a lasting one." The Second Vatican Council described marriage as a "community of love" and an "intimate partnership of life and love." The Church presumes that every marriage is valid unless proven otherwise. If there has been a marriage of any kind (religious, civil, common law) ended by a divorce, some Church process is required before a previously married person is recognized as free to marry in the Catholic Church. This applies even if the partners in the former marriage were not Catholic. The Church considers a marriage entered into by two non-Catholics, Christian or other, to be true marriages. Therefore, any previous marriage is an obstacle to a new marriage with a Catholic ceremony.
What Is The Tribunal?
Church law requires that every diocese establish a Tribunal. The Tribunal of the Diocese of Pittsburgh exists as a ministry of justice to assist the Bishop in fulfilling his ministry to the faithful entrusted to his care. It offers assistance to persons who ask that the Church examine a marriage to determine if some defect existed at the time of the wedding which may have prevented the establishment of a true and lasting bond of marriage. If so, the parties could be declared free to marry again.
What Are The Effects of a Declaration of Invalidity?
For a divorced [and remarried] Catholic, a declaration of invalidity will allow full participation in the sacramental life of the Church [including marriage in the Church]. For members of other religious traditions, a declaration of invalidity will enable the Catholic partner to celebrate the marriage in the Catholic Church and to fully participate in the sacramental life of the community. It does not mean that the marriage never occurred, nor does it imply guilt. It shows that a marriage presumed valid was in fact invalid as the Church understands a sacramental marriage. A declaration of invalidity does not render children illegitimate nor does it have any civil meaning or effect in the United States.
How Does The Process Work?
There are three steps in the formal process of a case.
- The preliminary stage involves the assembling of the case history, gathering of civil and church documents, requesting names of witnesses and notifying the Respondent.
- The judicial process begins when the Court is constituted and the parties are cited for session to appear before the Tribunal. Proofs are gathered from the testimony of the parties, witnesses and in some cases, experts. The decision of the Tribunal is issued.
- The appeal of the sentence is the third step. Church law requires that each case is subject to a mandatory appeal to a higher Tribunal. The Appeal Court can either ratify the first decision, overturn it, or request additional examination leading to either a confirming or a contrary decision.
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