Marriage

To engaged couples:

Congratulations! Holy Spirit Parish at Geist is so excited for you as you begin this journey towards your Sacrament of Marriage! Below please find some necessary information for celebrating your wedding day at Holy Spirit.

Wedding Times:

Wedding times are:

Fridays at 6:00 p.m. in the day chapel;

Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. in the church.

Rehearsals are held the evening before the wedding. Additional wedding information may be found in the wedding brochure.

Picking a Date:

Couples must begin the marriage preparation process first before they can set a date on the Holy Spirit calendar. Our office can inform you if the date you are interested in is open.

Marriage Preparation:

Catholics believe that marriage is a sacrament in which the couple and God enter into a lifelong, exclusive, life-giving covenant relationship. Marriage preparation provides an opportunity for the couple to reflect on their intent to enter into such a relationship and how they will live it.

The marriage preparation process at Holy Spirit typically looks as follows (preparation begins a minimum of 6 months prior to your wedding):

• Initial interview with pastoral associate to review the engagement process
• Take and debrief the PREPARE inventory.
• Either choose to meet with a sponsor couple, or attend a Pre-Cana retreat.

To Begin Marriage Preparation:

• The first step in marriage preparation is to make an appointment for an initial interview. This can be done in person or virtually. Typically this is around 30 minutes.
• Please contact Mike O’Connell at 317-490-8492 to make an appointment.

Parish Registration:

Couples who wish to be married at Holy Spirit may schedule a wedding date if either one of them or one of their parents has been registered at Holy Spirit for at least 6 months.

Those who are new to the area may register and begin marriage preparation immediately.

Registered parishioners who are planning to be married at a different parish may be able to complete their marriage preparation at Holy Spirit.

Marriage at another Parish

If you are planning to celebrate your wedding at another parish, but are a parishioner at Holy Spirit and would like to do your marriage preparation at Holy Spirit we will be happy to work with you! Please schedule an appointment soon to begin the process.

Engagement Blessing and Wedding Workshops

Engaged couples are encouraged to include the parish in their marriage preparation by participating in an engagement blessing. This short ceremony, held immediately after the 11am Mass the same weekend as the wedding workshops, is an opportunity for you and your future spouse to publicly state your intent to prepare for and enter the sacrament of marriage. Family members are welcome and encouraged to participate. 

To assist couples in planning their wedding celebration, Holy Spirit hosts three wedding workshops each year. Couples planning to marry at Holy Spirit are required to attend one of these workshops. Parents and family members of the bride and groom are welcome and encouraged to attend the wedding workshop.

Upcoming Engagement Blessing and Wedding Workshop Dates (please RSVP):  11am-1pm

January 30, 2022 https://forms.gle/iMgGwPNhP7sa2dQK6
April 24, 2022 https://forms.gle/gTAY2LRhLnR5EWmn6
September 25, 2022 https://forms.gle/aPFPPfZRu3GZqNJT8

PREPARE Workshop

At Holy Spirit, we want to offer each engaged couple the opportunity to intentionally take some time to understand their relationship as it is now, so that you can journey into marriage with clarity and understanding. To do this we utilize an assessment tool called PREPARE-ENRICH (prepare-enrich.com). You will individually receive a link in your e-mail to take the assessment and couples should take the assessment separately. After both partners finish the assessment the assesment will then be sent to the pastoral associate. To debrief the assessment results Holy Spirit offers group workshops throughout the year for couples to understand and take time to review their results. Individual assessments may be requested.

Upcoming PREPARE Workshop Dates
9am-6pm (including Mass) 

• February 20, 2022
• May 15, 2022
• September 18, 2022
• December 4, 2022 

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/S562gNW1AJWHNHVH8

Church fees 2022:

Church: $75
Wedding Coordinator: $300
Organist/Pianist: $250
Cantor: $200
Priest/Deacon: Your discretion

For more information about weddings at Holy Spirit
Wedding brochure 

Forms:
Affidavit of Freedom
Away Preparation Form

If you have questions, please contact Michael O’Connell in the Young Adult and Family Office at 317-585-1264.