Congratulations on the decision to make your love a sacrament. Marriage is a gift from God. We will do our best to help you prepare for your wedding and for your married life together.
“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.†– Ephesians 5:25
Please make contact with one of the priests of the parish in which you LIVE so that Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Forms can be completed and the relevant pre-marriage preparation arranged. Please note that the priest of the bride’s parish has the responsibility of preparing the couple for marriage.
Request a Baptismal Certificate and if necessary a Confirmation certificate from the parish in which you were Baptised/Confirmed. This certificate must be issued within six months of the date of your wedding.
Confirm the arrangements with the priest who is officiating at the wedding. If he is from another diocese or from a religious order, you must forward details of his name, address and telephone number to the parish secretary, so that he can be registered as a temporary officiant in the Derry Diocese.
The priests of the parishes within the city have agreed that to fully prepare for the sacrament of marriage all couples must participate in a pre-marriage course with ACCORD within six months of the marriage date. To book a course visit www.accord.ie or email derry@accordni.com.
If an ACCORD Pre-Marriage Course is unavailable in your area, please contact the Parish Office on 7126 2301 before booking a course with another provider. It is mandatory that all couples intending to celebrate their marriage here in Three Patrons complete a recognised Pre-Marriage Course.
You may choose one Old Testament and one New Testament reading or two New Testament readings. The Responsorial Psalm comes after the first reading. If you prefer to use different readings do not hesitate to ask the priest to help you.