ST. ANTONINUS CHURCH

1500 Linneman Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238

513-922-5400 E-mail: saintantoninus@fuse.net

The Rite of Marriage, which usually takes place during Mass is the occasion of an encounter with Jesus Christ. You are preparing for your marriage in a spiritual way through your meeting with a pastoral minister and an Engaged Couples weekend or a Pre-Cana conference, a program for natural family planning and use of the FOCCUS instrument for marriage preparation. It is also necessary to prepare for the practical aspects of your wedding: i.e. music, the physical arrangements and for any other special requirements that are needed.

PRE-CANA

COST

We ask that a $250 donation be paid at the time of scheduling your wedding date after meeting with Father. This donation goes to the parish. There is no charge for the services of the parish priest or deacon. If another priest or deacon outside the parish is requested by the couple, the couple is responsible to cover their stipend also. If the Altar Servers are supplied by the parish, it is customary that each server receives a $10 gratuity.

MUSIC

Our parish music director and organist is Ms. Peg Delaney, (513)921-0506 or e-mail at delaneypeg@aol.com. Ms. Delaney is to be paid directly by you, her fees vary with the type of ceremony, amount of music, etc. She should be contacted as soon as your wedding has been booked with Father. Ms. Delaney will help you in selecting music which is liturgically proper for the various parts of your ceremony (see the attached planning sheet). If you are using visiting musicians, she will work with them on the use of the sound system, location of any materials they may need, etc.

PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The parish Sacristan is Mrs. Ginny Johnson, (513) 922-1527. Please contact Mrs. Johnson at least three months prior to your wedding date. Mrs. Johnson will obtain Altar Servers unless you are supplying your own servers. She will also work with you and your florist on decorating the church. There are times when the church will be decorated for a special Liturgical season ( Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter). The seasonal decorations take precedence over other decorations. There is no fee for Mrs. Johnson’s services.

CIVIL MARRIAGE LICENSE

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST/LITURGY OF THE WORD AND VISITING CELEBRANTS

If either the bride or groom is not a baptized Christian, the wedding ceremony will not include The Liturgy of the Eucharist, but it will include The Liturgy of the Word. The ceremony may include a Mass when the bride or groom is not Catholic but is a baptized Christian. However, that also requires the permission of the Archbishop. Because Holy Communion can only be given to practicing Catholics, these couples may choose The Liturgy of the Word (only a cleric can witness a wedding).

If you have a priest or deacon come into the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for your wedding, we must have a Letter of Suitability from the appropriate diocesan official, or religious superior/provincial. Also please remind him to contact the pastor, Fr. Christopher R. Armstrong, (513) 922-5400, that complete marriage preparation is taking place. If your visiting priest is preparing the marriage documents, they should be sent to St. Antoninus Church at least one week before the wedding. In such cases the names of the bride, groom and their parents and the home parishes should be sent to Saint Antoninus.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS

Our request is that these professionals serve as unobtrusively as possible, remaining as far away from the sanctuary as they can. The more obvious they are in their work, the more of a distraction they present to our people at prayer. We do not object to their coming forward for pictures of the entrance of the wedding party before Mass begins.

MAINTENANCE

Since we do not have a sacristan or maintenance help on the weekends, we would greatly appreciate it if you would appoint a relative or friend as your “church worker” for the wedding. This person would close the doors from the greeting room into the church after the bride enters. (The greeting room serves as a temporary cry room for children). Tidy up the church after the wedding which includes gathering up the aisle cloth and putting it in the servers’ sacristy. Picking up flower petals or other items from the carpet. Removing any pew decorations and disposing of them. Gathering up any programs left in the pews or greeting room. Straightening up the bride’s room as it was before the wedding.

We hope your wedding ceremony will be faith-filled experience for yourselves and all who attend. Our prayers will be for you and for a long and blessed life of married love and happiness.