The Sacrament of Marriage
Comprehensive preparation for planning one of life’s most important events
Marriage Preparation
Congratulations on your engagement!
The staff of St. Stephen's Catholic Church look forward to working with you as you prepare for the sacrament of matrimony. The Catholic Church believes that weddings are a life-long commitment, so your planning with us will invlove not only preparation for your special day, but also planning and prepration for a life-long, sacramental marriage.
To begin your marriage preparation, please call the parish office. One of our parish priests will contact you to set-up an initial meeting to meet and outline the requirements of marriage preparation at our Church and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Only after this initial meeting may a date be reserved for a wedding. This meeting will also allow you to clarify any questions you may have regarding requirements for preparation. Please note that the wedding preparation process takes approximately six months to complete (unless special circumstances arise).
For more information about our requirements and the requirements of the Archdiocese, please see the Wedding Preparation Handbook in the resources below.
Planning A Wedding At St. Stephen’s Catholic Community
Resources for Planning a Wedding at our Church
Wedding Preparation Handbook
Wedding Preparation Checklist
Ceremony Planning Form (Within Mass)
Ceremony Planning Form (Outside of Mass)
Wedding Readings
Wedding Readings Booklet
Old Testament Reading
1. Genesis 1:26-28, 31a
2. Genesis 2:18-24
3. Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67
4. Tobit 7:6-14
5. Tobit 8:4b-8
6. Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
7. Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16a; 8:6-7a
8. Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16
9. Jeremiah 31:31-32a, 33-34a
Responsorial Psalm
Options 1-7
New Testament Reading
1. Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39
2. Romans 12:1-2, 9-18 (Long Form)
2a. Romans 12:1-2, 9-13 (Short Form)
3. Romans 15:1b-3a, 5-7, 13
4. 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
5. 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8a
6. Philippians 4:4-9
7. Colossians 3:12-17
8. Hebrews 13:1-4a, 5-6b
9. 1 Peter 3:1-9
10. 1 John 3:18-24
11. 1 John 4:7-12
12. Revelation 19:1, 5-9a
13. Ephesians 4:1-6
14. Ephesians 5:2a, 21-33 (Long Form)
14a. Ephesians 5:2a, 25-32 (Short Form)
Gospel Reading
1. Matthew 5:1-12a
2. Matthew 5:13-16
3. Matthew 7:21, 24-29 (Long Form)
3a. Matthew 7:21, 24-25 (Short Form)
4. Matthew 19:3-6
5. Matthew 22:35-40
6. Mark 10:6-9
7. John 2: 1-11
8. John 15:9-12
9. John 15:12-16
10. John 17:20-26 (Long Form)
10a. John 17:20-23 (Short Form)
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Marriage Preparation Retreat Registration Page
https://www.archspm.org/marriage/marriage-preparation/
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Natural Family Planning Resources and Quarterly Class List
https://www.archspm.org/marriage/natural-family-planning/
Contact Us Now to Begin Your Marriage Preparation Process:
Call 763-421-2471 for more about marriage preparation and to speak with a priest about setting a date at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church.
Email Us