Congratulations on your engagement! You are in one of the most exciting (and hectic) seasons of your life. Beyond the wedding day there is married life. Let us help you get ready.

In the Catholic Church, Marriage is an important religious event. For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to another person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God's values. As such, preparing for marriage often means some deep reflection on how God fits into your life, your future and of course, your marriage.

The Wedding

The wedding ceremony will express your belief that God will be with you to support you in your life together.  For a wedding in the Catholic Church at least one of the couple must be a baptised Catholic.  Couples who plan to get married in the Catholic Church are also required to attend a Marriage Preparation course.  This course will really help you to deepen your relationship and understand more deeply the difference a Christian marriage makes.  Courses are held at the Centacare office in Warragul.  You can download an enrolment form at https://www.catholiccarevic.org.au/events or phone 03 9287 5516.
 
If you have been previously married in either a civil or religious ceremony make sure you discuss this with the Priest when you first contact the Parish.

The Wedding Ceremony

Two ceremonies are available:

1. There is the wedding ceremony within the celebration of the Eucharist (often called a Nuptial Mass). Where both parties are practising Catholics they normally choose the Nuptial Mass.
2. There is the wedding ceremony within a celebration of God’s Word. This ceremony does not include Holy Communion and is most often chosen by couples of different Christian traditions or mixed faith.

Please discuss with the Priest officiating at your wedding which is the more appropriate ceremony for your situation. He will also assist you in selecting the Scripture Readings, Prayers, Vows and music for your wedding.

Some Practical Matters

• WITNESSES:   Law requires two witnesses over the age of 18 to sign the marriage certificate and register.  
• CHARGES:  We ask for a fee of $400, which will cover the use and upkeep of the Church and other expenses.  This fee goes to the Parish. Please pay this fee at the time of the “practice” or at the Parish Office prior to your Wedding day.   If you would like to give an additional personal donation to the Priest/Deacon officiating at your wedding it would be appreciated.
• DOCUMENTATION:  You will need to contact the Priest to arrange your wedding at least six months prior to the date of your marriage.  By federal law at least one month’s notice needs to be given before a marriage can take place.
  
  The State and Church requires you to produce the following documents:

• • Birth certificates or extracts.  
  • Baptism Certificates (Catholic and Non-Catholic)
  • If you are Catholic and do not live within the Cranbourne Parish you will need to obtain a letter of ‘Freedom to Marry’ from your local Parish Priest.
  • If you are under 18 years of age you need special consent from your parents.

Should you have suffered the death of a family member or close relative, our Parish community extends to you our deepest sympathy and the promise of our prayers.

ARRANGING A FUNERAL
At the time of a bereavement, it can be difficult to know where to turn for advice in arranging a funeral.
The first step you will need to take is to make contact with a Funeral Director and work with them. They will contact the parish to begin scheduling and other arrangements for the funeral. After these arrangements have been made, the Priest will make contact to organise a meeting with the family to prepare the order of service, choose readings and appropriate hymns.

CATHOLIC FUNERAL RITES
At a Catholic funeral the community gathers to say farewell to the person who has died and entrust that person to God’s loving care.

ROSARY
The Rosary is prayed with short scripture readings before the funeral.

FUNERAL LITURGY
The Church always encourages the celebration of the Mass as the central part of the funeral rite. But when Mass cannot be celebrated, a funeral liturgy outside Mass can be celebrated at the Church or at the funeral home.

RITE OF BURIAL
The priest and the community accompany the deceased member to the final resting place where the rite of burial is celebrated – usually, beside the graveside or memorial chapel at a crematorium. The priest blesses the coffin with holy water, and the community finally lays the person to rest, thanking God for the wonderful gift of life.
It is good to discuss these options and your preferences with both the parish and the funeral director.
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FUNERAL TIMES
Funerals can be held Tuesday – Friday 11.30am or 1.00pm is the latest time available for funerals to commence. This request is to avoid school traffic times. Priests are not available for funerals on Monday or Saturday.

FUNERAL PLANNING
Words of Remembrance (Eulogy)
Words of Remembrance will take place at the beginning of the Mass or Prayer Service, after the Opening Hymn, and requested to be no longer than 5 minutes.
Photo Tributes
Photo tributes can only take place at the beginning, after the Words of Remembrance, and must not exceed 5 minutes.
The Church is equipped with a computer projection facility which can be used to project pictorial and sound tributes. It is the responsibility of the family or Funeral Director to prepare the Photo Tribute PowerPoint. PowerPoints must be created in Widescreen 16:9 format to be compatible with our data projector and presented on a USB only

LIVE STREAMING SERVICES
St Agatha’s Parish offer Livestreaming of your loved one’s funeral or memorial service.
This is a cost effective and practical solution to connect with friends or family interstate or overseas who are unable to attend the service.
St Agatha’s Church has modern cameras strategically installed for Livestreaming our regular Masses. Our cameras are controlled from a studio out of view and therefore do not create a distraction during the service / Mass.
Once the funeral begins, discreetly placed cameras will capture your loved one’s funeral which can be accessed via a secure link which will be sent to you, all you need is an internet connection.

MUSIC
The choice of Hymns will be discussed with the Priest who will be able to guide the family in the selection of appropriate liturgical music. If the family request musicians the funeral directors will need to arrange their own.

FUNERAL BOOKLETS
Many families take the opportunity to prepare an Order of Service or commemorative booklet. The Parish do not design or supply the Funeral Booklet. The funeral director often provides this service and arranges for the printing of booklets or other material.

AFTER FUNERAL REFRESHMENT - TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE DURING COVID RESTRICTIONS
Our Parish Hall is available at no cost to the family for morning funerals only and is subject to availability. Mourners are required to vacate the hall by 3.00pm to allow for school traffic in the carpark.
The ‘St Agatha’s Parish Care Group’ may be able to assist with simple refreshments. Please contact the Parish Office for further enquiries.

COSTS
We appreciate that this is a very difficult time for you and we wish to support you in your time of loss. However, it is customary to make an offering to the church and the celebrant and the Funeral Director will offer some suggestions in this regard.

Parish Contact Details
If you need to urgently contact the priest please phone 5996 1985.