St James RC Parish, Bootle

Together you have decided to begin a great journey of love. The Christian Community of St James’, Bootle rejoices with you, your families and your friends on your decision to be married. The contents of this section have been designed to help you prepare for the celebration of your wedding. Please feel free to call on us at any time if you have any questions on
0151 933 8022
After you are married and settled into your home, I urge you to seek out the parish where you live. Introduce yourselves to the staff of that parish, register as a parishioner there, and most importantly be an active parishioner.
Our prayers and best wishes are with you on this journey!
Sincerely,
Rev. Gerry O’Shaughnessy sdb-Parish Team Leader
 

Marriage Preparation
Many people will be involved in your preparation for this happy occasion. Each will have something important to offer. All are motivated by a single desire, that you will be happy together for the rest of your lives.
The first step is to call the Parish Office (0151 933 8022) to schedule the date and time of your wedding. You will then schedule a brief meeting with Fr.Gerry sdb. You will need to bring recent copies (dated within the past 6 months) of each of your baptism certificates to this meeting. You will then be asked to take part in a marriage preparation programme, sometimes called Pre-Cana.
We will also look at the various options for the ceremony such as readings, choices of prayers, etc., and we can demonstrate some of the music that is available for weddings. This will allow you to prepare a wedding celebration that reflects your own wishes as well as following the tradition of the Catholic Church.
Usually Fr. Gerry sdb or Fr tom sdb will be available to preside at your marriage. Visiting priests and deacons are also welcome. Please ask them to contact us at the Parish Office
If you are marrying someone who is of a different faith, we are happy to welcome his/her minister and prepare a service that will be sensitive to both religious traditions. It is also possible to celebrate this marriage in another church or sacred space. The pastoral staff will assist you in this regard.
If your address changes during the time of your engagement, please notify the parish office, so you will be sure to receive all updated information.

The Wedding Celebration

Since the celebration of marriage is an event for the whole church, and especially for the parish community, the liturgical celebration will express the faith of the Catholic Church and the local customs of the parish.
The choice of prayers, readings, exchange of consent, blessing of rings, nuptial blessing and the homily all express this same faith. Any music chosen for the wedding should express the faith of the church in the mystery that is being celebrated. It should be appropriate for a liturgical celebration.

Music In order to make sure that your wedding is a beautiful celebration of faith, we can offer various choices:
• We have a group of very talented organists who can play live music
• We have an excellent Parish Music Group and Choir
• We have a series of CD’s that can be played through our sound system
• We also have interactive screens that can be used to show pictures or movies
• We have an excellent Bell Ringer who can provide a unique feature for your wedding

Photographs You are welcome to have photos taken during your wedding. We ask that the photographer speak with the coordinator prior to the ceremony.
Flowers & Decorations You are free to purchase flowers for the church if you so desire-we can recommend an excellent local florist, Victoria Lyon At certain times of the year, the church is specially decorated and no more flowers would be needed, i.e. Christmas and Easter. If you do decide to purchase flowers, you are free to take them with you or leave them in Church. Please let your florist know everything that needs to be picked up right after the ceremony. Also, please make sure all decorations such as pew bows, etc. are removed immediately after the wedding. We ask that no flowers be strewn in the aisle as it is difficult to clean up later. Because weekends in the church are so very busy, we are asking everyone to leave the church just as they found it so that the space can be ready for the next baptism, wedding, or parish mass. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
Offerings As mentioned, Team at St James’ makes a concerted effort to reach out to couples who celebrate their sacrament of marriage at this vibrant parish.
In order to provide these services, to maintain our beautiful church, and to help defray the costs of heating and lighting, the following payments are suggested. We realise that Weddings are expensive, but the Parish Pastoral Council feel that these guidelines are realistic. However, we are always ready to help out in cases of real need. To save embarrassment, it is suggested that you give the offerings in marked envelopes at the rehearsal; you are then free to enjoy the ceremony on the day itself.
St James’ Parish £150
Organists £60
Choir & Music Group £150
Wedding Bells-Mr McCormick £60
Registrar’s Fee-MANDATORY PAYMENT £60
(To help you understand why we make these charges: in 2008 alone, the Parish had to spend nearly £200,000 on a new heating system and new windows!)
Some couples make a personal gift to the priest who presides at their wedding celebration. This is entirely up to your discretion.

License: Each couple married in the United Kingdom must obtain a license (the “blue Form”) . You should contact the clerk in any centre for the Registration of Marriages about six months before your wedding regarding the proper procedure. This license must be brought to the rehearsal.
Our Official Registrar is MR ANTHONY SHAW

The Wedding Celebration
Helpful Hints
1. Entrance into the Church
While it has been customary for the father of the bride to walk her down the aisle, so feel that no longer fits with a contemporary view of marriage. Please consider other ways of doing the entrance procession. Some people like to involve both mother and father, and also to involve the groom and his family.

2. Scripture Readings
You are encouraged to select the readings of the Scripture for your service. This allows you to have a personal involvement in the ritual. The readings are provided for you to make the selection process easier. Choose one Old Testament reading and one New Testament reading. The priest will usually choose the Gospel unless you have a definite idea for a Gospel reading. You do not have to have two readings; it is possible to have only one—either from the Old or New Testaments. The priest will always read a Gospel passage. Please choose readers and ask them to attend the rehearsal so that they may practice in the church using the microphone system.

3. Preparation of the Altar with the Bread and Wine
If you plan on having a Nuptial Mass, please invite 2-3 people to bring up the gifts in preparation for Communion. These can be family, friends, godparents, etc... They should come to the rehearsal so they can practice in the church.

4. Candlelighting
You may use a unity candle if you would like but you need to purchase it and to bring it with the holder.

5. Holy Communion
At a wedding within a Mass, a Nuptial Mass, Holy Communion is given to all in the church who request it. It is desirable to offer the chalice with the consecrated wine to the people as well as to the bride and groom. If you have any friends or relatives who are Eucharistic ministers, let us know and they can assist at the time of Communion.

6. Start on time
While many jokes are made about the bride arriving late, it is important to try to start as close to the time as possible. There are often several weddings or other services on the same day. If a wedding is overly delayed it can cause problems for a lot of other people. If the ceremony is overly delayed the priest/deacon may shorten the ceremony by eliminating songs, etc. so as to speed it up. Please do not put us in that position. Thanks.

7. Toilet Facilities
There is an accessible toilet just off the Don Bosco room

8. Handicapped Access
St James’ Church is accessible for the by a ramp.

9. Please only throw bio-degradable confetti
We ask that only bio-degradable confetti or rice be thrown outside of the church. Failure to comply creates safety problems and custodial nightmares. Thanks.

10. Photography
We are happy to welcome your photographer. We ask that they use common sense and not move about too much, but they are free to take pictures as they see fit. We ask them to please speak to the priest/deacon before the Ceremony takes place

11. Limousines
Recently, stretch limousines and Hummers have become very popular. Please make sure that your car can actually fit through the driveway on Chesnut Grove, as it is very tight. It is a good idea that the Company you are using comes and checks the entrance size before your day.

12. Flowers
Your florist should take a look at the church if he or she is not familiar with it. Flowers arranged in large urns or on pillars on either side of the altar seem to work the best. They need to be large and arranged to be viewed on all sides - not the one-dimensional arrangements which are placed against a wall. Perhaps all the weddings on a given day could share the cost of the flowers. You are asked to take the flowers with you when you leave the church, unless of course you are sharing the flowers with the next wedding. If your florist is bringing in anything extra, (trees, plants, etc.) please let him or her know that it will need to picked up right after the ceremony. We recommend Victoria Lyon as an excellent local florist

13. Pews
There are 20 rows of pews total in the church



14. Wedding Coordinator
If you are using the services of an official wedding co-ordinator, we would ask you to please ask them to contact the Parish Team

14. Enjoy!
This is a great day for you and we promise to do all we can to make it special.
 

The Wedding Celebration-Suggested Readings
If you would like to do a reading in a different language, i.e., Spanish, French, Italian, please visit: http://bible.gospelcom.net/languages/ for a translation.
Old Testament Readings for Marriage
Genesis 1:26-28, 31
A reading from the book of Genesis
God said, “Let us make humankind in our image,
according to our likeness;
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the wild animals of the earth
and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them,
“ Be fruitful and multiply,
and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the air and over every living thing
that moves upon the earth.”
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
The Word of the Lord

Genesis 2:18-24
A reading from the book of Genesis
The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him a helper as his partner.”
So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air,
and brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field;
but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept;
then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Then the man said,
“ This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken”
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother
and clings to his wife,
and they become one flesh.
The Word of the Lord.Tb 7,9-10.11-15

Tb 7,9-10.11-15
A reading from the book of Tobit
Tobiah said to Raphael, “Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry my kinswoman Sarah.” Raguel overheard the words; so he said to the boys: “Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother. Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you, because you are my closest relative. But I will explain the situation to you very frankly. She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.” Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him. He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the words: “Take her according to the law. According to the decree written in the Book of Moses she is your wife. Take her and bring her back safely to your father. And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.” He then called her mother and told her to bring a scroll, so that he might draw up a marriage contract stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as his wife according to the decree of the Mosaic law. Her mother brought the scroll, and he drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals. Afterward they began to eat and drink.
This is the Word of the Lord.

Tb 8:4-7
A reading from the book of Tobit
On the wedding night Sarah got up, and she and Tobiah started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these words:
“ Blessed are you, O God of our fathers;
praised be your name forever and ever.
Let the heavens and all your creation
praise you forever.
You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve
to be his help and support;
and from these two the human race descended.
You said, `It is not good for the man to be alone;
let us make him a partner like himself.’
Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine
not because of lust,
but for a noble purpose.
Call down your mercy on me and on her,
and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”
The Word of the Lord.

Song of Solomon 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
My beloved is mine and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
(He said to me:)
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
The Word of the Lord
 

New Testament Readings for Marriage
Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
If God is for us, who is against us?
He who did not withhold his own Son,
but gave him up for all of us,
will he not with him also give us everything else?
Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?
It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn?
It is Christ Jesus, who died,
yes, who was raised,
who is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Word of the Lord.

Romans 12:1-2, 9-13
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
I appeal to you brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of
God–what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil,
hold fast to what is good, love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
The Word of the Lord

1 Corinthians 12:31 & 13:1-8
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and sisters, strive for the greater gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels,
but do not have love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away all my possessions,
and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind;
love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice in wrongdoing,
but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
The Word of the Lord

Eph