Many people want to come back to the Banks of the Old Raritan to say "I do," and we welcome the inquiries from Students, former students and faculty and staff who want to include their school in one of the most special days of their lives.
The Policy for the Diocese of Metuchen requires a period of preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, which includes sessions with the parish priest or deacon and participating either in the Pre-Cana Conference or the Engaged Encounter Weekend. Complete Details on requirements for Marriage will be discussed during the initial meeting between the couple and clergy. Arrangements should be made at least one year in advance and BEFORE any social plans are finalized.
We recommend the following steps:
Your parish priest or deacon will be the one preparing you, unless you make arrangements with one of the clergy at the Catholic Center. The priest or deacons availability and certain paperwork must be completed prior to giving the engaged couple a firm date for their wedding. We suggest you tell them of your plans of getting married at Rutgers and they will in turn be in contact with us.
Colleen Donahue is our Wedding Coordinator and will assist you in starting the work to get married here at Rutgers. She will ask you a couple of questions to verify that we are allowed to perform the wedding here and will complete the paperwork that is required from our side. She will also assist you with getting in touch with the Church or chapel where your wedding will take place
Weddings take a great deal of planning and a lot of patience. If you work with the clergy and Catholic Center, there will be little stress as the big day approaches.
This is a Sacrament of the Church, and all Sacraments take preparation that help us to be ready for that moment of receiving them. The prep is there to benefit you and we believe if you take it seriously it will help you as a couple. Through it you will meet other couples and will probably learn a great deal about yourselves.
The Office of Family Life within the Diocese of Metuchen lists the available dates for FOCCUS testing, Pre-Cana and God's Plan for a Joy-filled Marriage which are required as part of the preparation process
This will be touched upon during your prep work, but sometimes guest lists and flower decorations can get the best of us. Make sure you and your fiancé take some time to reflect and talk to God about this amazing day!
For Visiting Priests/Deacons
We will need you to request delegation from us to perform the wedding. This should be done as soon as you know that you are officiating the wedding. We will need a written request with the name of the Bride, Groom, the date of the wedding and which chapel the couple is planning on getting married in. It is preferred that this be on official letterhead of your parish.
Our delegation details any other requirements that we have at the Catholic Center that you will need to know about and abide by. Please call Colleen Donahue (732)545-6633x12 for further questions.
A letter of suitability for ministry is also required for all visiting priests/deacons outside the Diocese of Metuchen.