A Catholic Sacramental Marriage starts with a joint decision between the bride and groom and then a commitment this union between man and woman will be dedicated to a union with God throughout the marriage.

The Sacrament of Marriage is husband and wife protecting each other from sin and accompanying each other in holiness towards heaven.  

A Catholic Sacramental Marriage does not start with the booking of the Church or the reception venue.

Kindly read and understand the information on this page on the holy Sacrament of Matrimony.
 

1. The spouses are free to marry.
2. They freely exchange their consent.
3. In consenting to marry, they have intention to marry for life, to be faithful to one another and to be open to children.
4. Their consent is given in the Canonical Form: in the presence of two witnesses and before a properly authorized church minister (ordained priest or deacon).

• A prior bond or marriage.
• Disparity of Cult: one party is not baptized in the Trinitarian sense (the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) and immersed in water.

While some impediments will not ultimately prevent a sacramental marriage, the church requires that these impediments are assessed and treated in the most appropriate way to meet the expectations that the church’s Canon Law requires.

This brings us to the subject of marriage preparation or Pre-Cana. The church expects the parties to commit about 12 months for marriage preparation. Not only is this time spent assessing that the parties are free to marry, but this time is also viewed as prayerful discernment together, to fully understand the sanctity of the commitment to a faithful and faith-filled marriage.

Here at St. John Neumann Parish, our marriage preparation program requires at least 8 months of the engaged couple’s time if both parties are baptized Roman Catholics. If one of the couple is a non- Catholic, SJN requires the couple to plan at least a year for marriage preparation.  The non-Catholic person will likely have to go through RCIA(Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program as part of the pre-marriage requirement.  Going through RCIA may not necessarily apply to all couples. This decision will be determined by the pastor depending on the couple’s circumstances.

All engaged couples that require special permissions or dispensations depending on their pre-marriage situation, will need the close care of the pastor or deacon who is assigned to their marriage preparation. Permissions and dispensations are submitted to the Archbishop’s office for approval.  Requesting for permissions and dispensations requires time and consideration before submitting the request and the time it will take for the Archbishop’s office to make a decision.  A wedding cannot take place until all necessary dispensations and approvals have been granted by the appropriate governing bishop. 

Marriage preparation is time carefully spent in close discernment, prayer and building a closer relationship with God as individuals and as a couple.  

Our priests and deacons work hard to ensure that all of the pre-marriage requirements are met for the engaged couple to ensure a licit Sacramental Marriage.

For more information, contact:
Pia Carli at [email protected] or 734-455-5910 ext 104

Please make sure that all of the following requirements are met before you contact us regarding your desire to receive the
Holy Sacrament of Matrimony:

1. You  and your fiance are at an age of consent to marry (at least 18 years old).
2.  You and/or your fiance are baptized Catholics.
3.  You and your fiance are registered parishioners of St. John Neumann Church.
4.  You (and or your fiance) are currently practicing your Catholic faith, attend and worship at Mass on Sunday.
5. You must contact us and make the arrangements and inquiries for receiving the Sacrament rather than having your relative or friend contact us. For example, please do not delegate or abdicate this task to your parents or your future in-laws.
6. You and your fiance are BOTH committed to the marriage preparation process and will dedicate the necessary time, prayer and effort needed to assist you  through the beginning of your marriage journey.
7. Both you and your fiance are free to marry and have no prior marriages that will pose as an impediment to this future marriage. (Should you have a prior marriage that will need to be addressed, let us know so that we can help you with this matter first before starting marriage preparation)

I am a practicing Methodist but my fiance is Catholic.  Will I need to convert to be married in the Catholic Church?
No and yes.
No: conversion is not required to receive the grace and dignity of a Sacramental Marriage, as long as you are a proven baptized Christian person.
Yes, conversion to Catholicism will be discussed with you through the prepapration process but your actual conversion is not mandated.  Prayer and faith in Catholicism are central to a practicing Catholic.  Marriage preparation or Pre-Cana is a beautiful opportunity to learn about Catholic teaching and a couple that share the same faith and church authority builds a better foundation for a strong Sacramental Marriage.

I am a practicing Bhuddist but my fiance is Catholic.  I have no intention of being baptized and become a Catholic.  Can we still get married in the Catholic Church?
Yes.  However, special dispensations will have to be requested on the Catholic person's behalf in order for him/her to marry a non-baptized person. 
The Catholic person will also need to make a solemn promise to our Lord that the children of this union will be baptized and raised as Catholics.  

My fiance and I have put a deposit into and booked the perfect reception venue.  They have an outdoor pavilion that they use for weddings.  Can your priest come and marry us there instead of in the Church?
No.  An ordained Roman Catholic priest in good standing to minister is prohibitted from officiating and witnessing a wedding in the Roman Catholic Rite in any location that is not a recognized Catholic church or chapel.

How much does it cost to get married at St. John Neumann?
While SJN does not charge for marriage preparation or for the actual wedding ceremony, we require that the bride and groom register as parishioners and start participating in worship and parish life.  Parish registration must take place before any marriage preparation starts or the desired wedding date is confirmed. The bride and groom's Sunday contributions will help cover the costs of materials and workshops needed for marriage preparation.

Why does it take so long to go through Marriage Preparation in the Catholic Church? It seems excessive and with our busy lives, we don't have a lot of time for it.
The Sacrament of Marriage for Catholics is exactly that.  It is sacred and it is holy.  Our role in this church ministry is to help an engaged couple understand what holiness in marriage means.  Through this process and journey, couples in prep will go through training and workshops such as Natural Family Planning courses.  The couple will also work with their own chosen mentor couple who will offer wisdom and support as an already married Catholic couple. A prayerful and thoughtful marriage preparation is critical to laying a good foundation for a Catholic couple and their future together. 

Neither my fiance nor I are members of St. John Neumann Church but my parents are. My fiance and I live 40 miles away from St. John Neumann and the distance is not convenient for us to register as parishioners.  Can we get married there anyway on my parents' registration as parishioners?
You and your fiance are adults now and you are required to register at a Catholic Church that will prepare you for marriage whether that is St. John Neumann Church or a Catholic Church closer to your actual domicile.  In your case, we would suggest for you to find the Catholic Church that you want to establish roots with and to faithfully go to weekly, especially as you and your future spouse grow in faith together and perhaps start your family.

My fiance and I currently live in Ann Arbor but my parents live in Canton and are parishioners there.  Can we get married at St. John Neumann Church?
Where the bride and groom reside in terms of diocesan bounds, greatly matters.  If you and your fiance reside in Ann Arbor, you are Catholic subjects of the Diocese of Lansing. You must work with your Ann Arbor area Catholic Parish Church and your pastor there to express your desire to receive the Sacrament and to prepare you for marriage. If you wish to have your ceremony at St. John Neumann Church, you will need to get the right permissions from both the Diocese of Lansing and the Archdiocese of Detroit bishop's offices. Your Ann Arbor Church will lawfully and appropriately transfer your pre-marriage file to the Archdiocese of Detroit.

My fiance and I are parishioners of St. John Neumann and plan to have our wedding in Florida where most of our families live.  Can SJN prepare us for marriage and yet have our wedding ceremony in Florida?
As long as you and your fiance are our parishioners and you have been coming to SJN to worship and to participate in Parish Life, we will prepare you for marriage and handle the necessary steps to ensure that you will have a licit Sacramental Marriage in your Florida parish church.  Be aware that since this wedding is outside the bounds of the Archdiocese of Detroit, you can expect to be deeply involved in assisting us to connect and communicate with the clergy and staff in the Florida church on your behalf.

My fiance and I are currently living together for emotional, practical and economical reasons.  Is this going to be a problem and are you going to deny us the Sacrament of Marriage?
As Catholic Christians we believe and respect the truth that we are all created by God and made in His image and likeness.  With that truth, we value and respect the God-given dignity of every human person.  This truth and teaching translates into your dignity as an unmarried person and as a future spouse.  Marriage is the union between husband, wife and God, graced through the sacrament. 

The conjugal act or sexual act between a man and woman is sacred and is to be carried out within the covenant of marriage.  The sexual act between a husband and wife is unitive, totally self-giving, ethereal, and blessed, just as God intended it to be.  The sexual act is also done with the understanding and acceptance that it will likely be a creative and fruitful union and that a child may be conceived through it. Therefore, a sexual act between two unmarried people is not chaste and is a mortal sin.  The priest or deacon who is preparing you for marriage along with the laity who teach the Theology of the Body will delve deeper into this church teaching and will offer you ways in which to handle your cohabitation prior to your wedding day. Please understand that this church teaching is born out of God's love for you.  The virtues of chastity and purity are great signs of love and are not punitive or restrictive actions imposed on you.  God gave us all a free will, this circumstance is a great example in which we can align our will with God's will.

I am divorced and I am now engaged to a Catholic.  Can we get married in the Church?
A quick answer is yes, we can absolutely HELP you towards a licit Sacramental Marriage.  However, your unique and special circumstances will need for us to meet and talk to you and your fiance first.  This would be in order to determine the best way to:

• figure out how to treat your prior marriage or bond (each person's situation is unique); if an annulment of the prior marriage is needed then we would be able to assist you with that as well. 
• put together your marriage preparation process