Happy New Year to everyone and may this Year 2020 bring all of us LOVE, PEACE and JOY!
On November 24, 2019, Bishop Ryan Jimenez, Bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa approved two documents from the Commission on Worship – the Liturgical Guidelines for the Celebration of Matrimony and the Diocesan Guidelines on Music in the Liturgy for the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. These documents highlight and provides the important aspects of the different liturgical celebrations and creates uniformity in the celebration throughout the diocese.
For the next several weeks, the section on Liturgy in our Diocese will focus on the Guidelines for the Celebration of Matrimony in our Diocese. This week will focus on the overview and summary of the Matrimony Guidelines.
The Liturgical Guidelines for the Celebration of Matrimony in our Diocese is intended to serve as a pastoral aide to our clergy and other individuals who are involved in the planning and celebration of weddings in our Diocese. The guidelines are primarily liturgical in scope and are not meant to address the many or all of the many canonical and pastoral questions that can come up in the course of preparing a couple to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage. Such question(s) may be directed to the parish priest or the Curia here in our Diocese.
Here in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, weddings are not scheduled or allowed at the following times: (1) Sundays; (2) Holy Days of Obligation; and (3) Palm Sunday or during Holy Week. However, a Group Wedding is allowed on Sunday by tradition/custom on the Feast of the Holy Family.
The Order of Celebrating Matrimony WITHIN Mass is composed of the following:
- Introductory Rites – includes Entrance, Greeting, Penitential Act, Gloria and Collect (Opening Prayer).
- Liturgy of the Word – includes First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia), Gospel and Homily.
- The Celebration of Matrimony – includes the Consent, the Blessing and Giving of Rings, the Blessing and Giving of the Arras (coins) and the Universal Prayer (Intercessions).
- The Liturgy of the Eucharist – includes the Preparation of the Gifts and Altar, the Eucharistic Prayer (Preface, Sanctus, Mystery of Faith and Great Amen, Blessing and Place of the Veil and /Lazo, Nuptial Blessing and Sign of Peace), and Preparation for Communion (Prayer after Communion).
- The Concluding Rites – which includes the Cultural tradition/local customs (Presentation of Flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Presentation of the Holy Bible and Holy Family Statue to the couple), Blessing (Solemn), Signing of the Marriage License, and Dismissal/Recessional.
Thank you and May God Bless Us All.