Weddings, Marriage Preparation
In line with Diocesan norms, St. Philip Benizi provides accompaniment for couples seeking to get married in the Catholic Church.
Depending on the couple’s circumstances, the Diocese envisions the process to take about six months for previously unmarried couples with at least one member of the couple being Catholic.
Couples where one or both members of the couple was/were previously married but not in the Church (or in the case of non-Catholic Christians, in a non-religious ceremony), the process can generally be managed within a similar time frame, with some additional paperwork.
Marriage preparation for couples where one or both members of the couple were previously married in the Church (or in the case of non-Catholic Christians, in a religious ceremony) requires completion of a full annulment process regarding the previous marriage ending in the declaration of nullity of the previous marriage from the Diocese’s marriage tribunal. A couple should not make marriage plans in the Church in such a circumstance until receiving the declaration of nullity of the previous marriage.
Marriage preparation at St. Philip Benizi involves:
— Setting up an initial meeting with the priest or deacon at the parish. During this initial meeting the priest or deacon will fill-out with you the initial forms required by both the Parish and the Diocese and explain the rest of the procedure.
— Submission of the necessary documentation:
— baptismal certificate, first communion certificate, confirmation certificate. Note that the baptismal certificate must be current (within six months of the planned date of marriage. This is because as per Catholic Church norms, we will be checking not simply that the person has been baptized but that the person has not been previously married in the Catholic Church (normally recorded next to the person’s name in the baptismal register).
— two “freedom to marry” forms for each person, signed and sworn to (in front a priest in the parish office or in front of a notary public) that the person is free to marry.
— The taking and review of a standard “FOCCUS” exam, which involves each person answering (agree, disagree, don’t know) about 150-180 short questions. The questions are easy, but necessary, to make sure that the couple really has talked about the basics of life together in marriage (what are our life goals, do we have mutual interests and friends, how are we going to manage our relationships with our families / in-laws, how are we hoping to raise our kids, how are we expecting to manage our finances, as well as our lives both at home and outside).
— Completion of a ten hour (3-5 session) Catholic Marriage Prep course. St. Philip Benizi Parish offers such courses twice a year (in the Fall and Winter), both in English and Spanish. For more information call the Parish office at (714) 871-3610.
— As the big day approaches, least 2 sessions including the Wedding Rehearsal with our parish Wedding Coordinator to pick Readings as well as answer questions about the Liturgy.
— Cost. Currently, the cost for a Wedding/Preparation, not including the cost of music, which we ask that the couple contract separately, is $800 for a couple involving a parishioner, $1500 for non-parishioners, $2000 for a wedding involving a non-parishioner and a visiting but certified (in good standing) Catholic Priest.
For those interested, please call the Parish office at (714) 871-3610 to schedule an initial interview to begin the process.
Masses for Special Birthdays, Anniversaries
St. Philip Benizi offers the opportunity for families to hold special Masses for Significant Birthdays and Anniversaries.
The cost for such celebrations, again, not including music (contracted separately, though we can give help and direction), would be $500 (+$100 for rehearsal if needed) for a parishioner, $750 for a non-parishioner, $1250 for a non-parishioner presided over by a visiting but certified (in good standing) Catholic priest.
Please call the Parish office at (714) 871-3610 to inquire about available dates, fill out the initial forms and make a $100 mandatory, non-refundable deposit.
Funerals
In line with Diocesan norms, St. Philip Benizi, offers both on site church funeral and graveside services for those wishing Catholic funerals.
Generally, the practice is to first go to the Mortuary and tell them that you would wish the funeral would be held here at the Church and/or presided over by one of our clergy.
Afterwards, more proximate funeral arrangements (Reading selection, music selection, etc) can be made by calling our Parish office at (714) 871-3610.
Quinceañeras
St. Philip Benizi happily offers the opportunity for Catholic families to celebrate their daughters, nieces’ quinceañeras at our Church.
The cost for such celebrations at St. Philip Benizi is $700 for parishioners, $1200 for non-parishioners, $1500 for non-parishioners with a visiting but certified (in good standing) Catholic priest.
Additionally, the young lady whose quinceañera is to be celebrated must be baptized, have received first communion and be registered in a program for receiving Confirmation in the Catholic Church.
Finally, a contract must be signed by a parent of the young lady whose quinceañera is to be celebrated and a $100 deposit, non-refundable deposit is taken at the time when the initial information for the quinceañera is taken and the date is selected.
For more information, please call the Parish office at (714) 871-3610.
Hall Rental
In addition to these liturgical and sacramental services being offered at St. Philip Benizi, we are now offering rental of our Parish Hall, priority given to those requesting these sacramental and liturgical services of us.
The Cost currently would be $4,000 for the rental of the hall, with a $1,500 fee for set-up, clean-up, security and insurance.
For more information, please call the Parish office at (714) 871-3610.