Sacraments: Marriage

Married Christians, in virtue of the sacrament of matrimony, signify and share in the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and his Church; (Ephesians 5:32) they help each other to attain to holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of their children; and they have their own special gift among the people of God.

The Cathedral
St Patrick’s Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta. It occupies one of the most historic sites in our country, where Catholics have worshipped for over two hundred years.

Completed in 2003, the Cathedral is designed to seat 800 people. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel was restored to its present state from the shell of the former Church, which was destroyed by fire in 1996. The Chapel is ideal for smaller congregations up to 100 people.

All funding required for the operation, maintenance and preservation of the Cathedral is entirely dependent upon the generosity of the Catholic people of Parramatta, visitors and others who use it for special occasions or celebrations.

Celebrant
It is the responsibility of the Bride and Groom to organise a Celebrant where possible. He will guide you through the process of preparation for marriage and will be responsible for all the formal paperwork required for both the Government and the Church. If you are not a resident of the Parramatta Parish, you will need to engage your own celebrant. You may wish to have your local Priest celebrate your wedding. If you choose a Priest/Deacon who is not from the Diocese of Parramatta and does not hold a Ministry card, he must download and action relevant documents from the Diocese of Parramatta’s website. Due to Parish activities, the Priests from St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish may not be available for weddings on Sundays.

Confirmation of Booking
Before your booking can be confirmed, a preliminary meeting with the parish secretary is required. Following this, you have four (4) weeks to secure your date by depositing the ‘non-refundable’ booking deposit of $400 and returning the filled in application given to you at the preliminary meeting.

Pre-Marriage Education Courses
As part of your marriage preparation, you are required to attend a Pre-Marriage course. The celebrant may work with you on this.

The Mission Enhancement Team of the Diocese of Parramatta offer weekend and online courses. For more information, click here.

Books to assist you in preparing for your wedding ceremony are available at some of the Pre-Marriage courses or at Catholic bookstores.

Music
Our Director of Music must approve all music and musicians. It is a policy of the Cathedral that only the Cathedral’s Director of Music or someone delegated by the Director of Music is permitted to play the organ in the Cathedral. Playing CDs and/or cassette tapes is not permitted in the Cathedral. Once you have begun your marriage ceremony preparation, please contact the Cathedral’s Director of Music, who will be happy to discuss and advise you on musicians, instruments, singers and your choice of music.
Cost for music services will be outlined at the preliminary meeting. Discussions regarding music should be made with the Director of Music no later than 3 months prior to the ceremony.

Acolytes/Senior Servers
It is important to have someone to assist the Celebrant, particularly if he is not one of the Cathedral Priests. Our Acolytes and Senior Servers have been fully trained and are familiar with the Cathedral. They will ensure the Church is prepared correctly and that requirements regarding the use of the Cathedral are strictly adhered to.

Flowers & Decorations
It is a policy of the Cathedral that the Cathedral Florist only is responsible for decorating the sanctuary with flowers for weddings. Contact should be made direct with the Cathedral Florist, who will advise you of the cost and arrange payment from you. The flowers remain in the Church and may not be removed as the vases containing them form part of the artwork for the Cathedral. During the season of Lent – Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday – floral decorations are required to be very simple.
Pew Decorations – As there are restrictions, it may be beneficial to arrange this through the preferred florist to the Cathedral.

Photographs & Videos
Having regard for the sanctity of the Wedding Ceremony and of the Cathedral, still photographs and video filming may only be taken from specific locations within the Cathedral. Please advise your photographer to speak to the Celebrant on arrival at the Cathedral prior to the ceremony, for instructions on the locations from which they are permitted to use their cameras or video equipment. The use of floodlighting is not permitted within the Cathedral.

Wedding Ceremony Times

• Saturdays: After 11:30 am and before 4:00 pm
• Sundays: 3:00 pm only

Rehearsals
Rehearsals are usually held Monday-Friday (except Wednesdays) from 5pm-6pm.
Contact the parish secretary to arrange a time for your rehearsal. There is no charge for using the Cathedral for rehearsals. Preferred time allocated is one hour.

Punctuality
It is extremely important that your ceremony starts on time as there may be another service following on the same day. Your Celebrant and/or those people associated with organising your ceremony at the Church may also have other commitments following your ceremony.

Car Parking
Car parking is provided for guests in the grounds of the Cathedral. Entry is from Victoria Rd. Bridal cars and Photographers cars only may park in the forecourt area of the Cathedral. Entry to this area is from Marist Place. As other services could be following on the same day, you are asked to ensure that your guests vacate the car park without unnecessary delay.

Throwing Confetti etc
The throwing of confetti, rice, streamers, flowers, petals or any other items is NOT PERMITTED in, around or near the Cathedral precinct.

Behaviour
It is the responsibility of the bridal party and families to ensure that you and your guests behave in a manner that is respectful of the Church and the Sacrament of Marriage. The drinking of alcohol on the steps and forecourt areas of the Cathedral is NOT PERMITTED.

Offering for use of the Cathedral
An Offering to the Church is payable (detailed at preliminary meeting). Final payments should be paid no later than three months prior to the date of the ceremony.

Cancellation
If you find it necessary to cancel your booking, the initial Deposit of $400.00 will be forfeited. However, any additional payments made towards your Offering would be refunded in full.

Payments
Payments can be made via bPoint.

Bookings / Cancellations
The parish office must receive your deposit and fully completed Application Form within four weeks of you receiving our information pack. After this time, the ‘tbc’ booking will be removed. The declarations on the back of the Application Form contained in this booklet must be fully completed in order to secure your booking.

Correspondence
Any correspondence regarding your Wedding Ceremony should be directed in writing or by email to the Parish Secretary ([email protected]).