St. Peter – Weddings
Weddings at the Chapel of St. Peter
The Sacrament of Marriage is one of the most beautiful of the Sacraments. As a Sacrament, it is not just a private matter, but rather a public witness to the fact that God has called you for each other. Moreover, in a marriage that sacramentally unites the two of you, God will confer upon you His special grace to help one another to attain holiness in your married life, and in welcoming and educating your children. Because of the sacredness of this act which goes far beyond just getting a marriage license, the Catholic Church has always taken great care in its two thousand-year history to ensure that the Sacrament is received with dignity, awe, appreciation, and reverence. For that reason, we ask that you be aware of the following:
- One party must be a registered and active member of a Catholic parish in order to be married in the Catholic Church.
- Weddings at St. Peter’s are permitted only on Friday evenings (scheduled to begin between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.) or on Saturday (scheduled 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.). This is due to the fact that the chapel is open to the public on a restricted basis.
- Neither party to the marriage may have previously been married. If either party has been previously married, you must arrange a meeting with your pastor (not the pastor of St. James) to consider the possible application for a declaration of nullity (i.e. an annulment) for the previous marriage.
- All necessary paperwork must be filed a minimum of eight weeks prior to the wedding date. Without this paperwork, the wedding may not go forward at St. Peter’s.
If you meet the above requirements, you may contact the Director of Family Life and Marriage at St. James by sending an email to marriage@stjameswv.org or call our Parish Office at 304-725-5558.
Please Note: Due to the number of weddings and phone calls and emails we receive, we ask that only the bride, groom, or the clergy celebrating your wedding contact our office with inquiries about wedding matters.