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Marriage Preperation GuidelinesThe wedding ceremony is a sacred celebration whereby husband and wife join together to become a living witness and symbol of Christ’s love for his Church. It is the official “beginning” to the sacramental life of a couple who willingly agrees to live with and for one-another for the rest of their lives.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS- A couple desiring to get married should contact the parish no less than nine months prior to the wedding.
- The church should be reserved before a commitment is made to a photographer and reception hall. The church may not be available on the desired date without reserving it in advance.
- Participate in a Pre-Marriage Seminar weekend and attend Natural Family Planning (NFP) training. Click on the links to the Diocese of Bismarck's website to get information regarding these topics as well as dates and how to register. The specifics of these will be shared with the couple in the first meeting with the Pastor.
- Participate in the evaluation tool, FOCCUS, which assists the couple in understanding themselves as individuals and as a couple. The results of the tool will be shared with the presider of the wedding, or it will be given to a sponsoring couple who will assist the engaged couple in evaluating the results of the tool.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED- Pre-nuptial questionnaire which is completed at the first meeting with the Pastor.
- A Baptismal Certificate which should be requested from the parish of baptism at least six months prior to the wedding date. (A non-Catholic person should provide a photocopy of a baptismal record.)
- Completion certificates from the Pre-Marriage Seminar weekend and NFP training.
- A marriage license which is procured from the Clerk of Court at the local court house. The couple needs to go together and present a document of personal identification (driver license or social security card). The license can be purchased up to 60 days before the wedding. Fee for the license is determined by the state.
- Appropriate documentation of any annulled (previous) marriages.
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List of fees and stipends
CHURCH BUILDING USE: $500 for registered parishioners (must be a registered member a minimum of 18 months prior to the wedding date). NON-PARISHIONERS fee is $1000. The building use fee must be paid at the time the wedding date is requested and before it will be scheduled on the church calendar.
CELEBRANT: There are no stole fees for the services of the priest at the wedding. If you want to make a donation for the sacramental services provided, that donation is made to the church.
ALTAR SERVERS: Suggested stipend for each altar server provided by St. Leo the Great is $20.
MUSICIANS: Stipend for the music ministry, including the parish keyboardist, is determined by the musicians. The stipend should be given to the musicians on or before the date of the rehearsal. If you are in need of a musician call Casy at 701-500-5107.
Checks made out to St. Leo the Great can be delivered to the parish office during regular business hours. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm