Our Lady of the Valley and Chapel of the Snows
Marriages in our Parish from near and far:
Congratulations on the sacramental journey you are about to begin. The ceremony you will be planning is more than just an event, it is a sacrament, a sign of your union together founded upon the love of Christ. We would like to thank you for choosing our Parish to begin your journey together in the eyes of God. This documentation may seem a little daunting at first, but we will gladly help you with it all the way.
If you are not members of our parish, and/or Diocese, and would like to marry in one of our mission churches, please go over the checklist. After all paperwork has been completed, we will file your Sacrament of Marriage in our record books.
Marriages taking place at Chapel of the Snows Parish, Stratton Mountain, Vermont as a destination wedding:
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! We will gladly help you with any questions you may have. We would like to point out that we take care of the Roman Catholic documents concerning any wedding in one of our parishes that is in the Vermont Diocese. You will need to call Sherry Clark, of the Chapel of the Snows Foundation, to check the availability of the building. The Chapel of the Snows Foundation is a separate group from our Chapel of the Snows Parish. Sherry Clark will be able to answer questions concerning scheduling and renting of the building from them. You will then be able to contact us and start the paperwork so your Sacrament of Marriage will be recorded in our parish.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Groom Name: Catholic: Yes/No
Address:
Phone and email:
Bride Name: Catholic: Yes/No
Address
Phone and email:
Best man:
Maid of Honor:
Date/Place of Wedding:
Who will be officiating this marriage: Fr. or Dn.
CHECKLIST:
______Probate Court license if bringing in an out-of-state priest/deacon to be your celebrant. You can obtain this by contacting: Windham County: Marlboro Probate Court, P.O. Box 523, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Or calling 802-257-2898. Stratton Mountain: Town Clerk 802-896-6184. This is our friendly reminder to have the celebrant bring this along so it can be filed with the marriage license at the court.
_____Affidavit of suitability document from Diocese of Priest or Deacon if he is from out of state. This is needed if you have your Priest or Deacon come from out of state to perform the ceremony in one of our parishes. He will need to contact the Chancellor of his Diocese to get this document.
_____ Canonical delegation from Fr. A. Agnel Samy if Priest or Deacon officiating marriage is from out of state. This is needed so that Fr. Agnel may grant permission for an out of state Priest or Deacon to officiate a marriage in one of his churches. Our Lady of Mercy, Putney, VT; Our Lady of the Valley, Townshend, VT; Chapel of the Snows, Stratton Mtn., VT, St. Edmunds of Canterbury, Saxtons River, VT and The White Church at Grafton, Grafton, VT.
___Letter of Permission from Bride’s Pastor (if she is Catholic) to be married in another parish.
____ Letter of Permission is also needed from Fr. A. Agnel Samy to marry in one of his parishes. We will have the form signed by Fr. A. Agnel Samy after the paperwork has been approved by Msgr. John J. McDermott.
______Pre-marital investigation –for example, the form from the Diocese of Burlington is called MARRIAGE PREPARATION QUESTIONNAIRE. It should be done at the Parish of the Bride. If that is not possible then perhaps from the groom’s Parish or by the priest who is helping you prepare the documents. This form MUST be completed and signed for the marriage to take place.
______Letter of completion of Pre-Cana OR “One in Christ Weekend” or “Marriage Encounter.” This is your pre-marriage preparation course and may be called something different in each church
______Fully Engaged document—required only if you are from our Burlington Diocese.
______Freedom to Marry forms for non-Catholic party (2 witnesses needed). You can get these forms from the Parish of the person who is Catholic.
_____Disparity of Cult & Promise and Declaration forms for the person who has never been baptized in the Catholic Church.
______Baptismal certificates for wedding from the church of baptism dated within 6 months of the wedding, with proper marking on reverse side. Needed for Catholic party only.
_____Permission is needed from our Bishop, in the Diocese of Burlington, for a Mass in a mixed marriage. (Baptized Catholic and Baptized Christian) The people who do your pre-marital investigation will do this for you if one of the people getting married is not Catholic.
______Marriage License You may obtain this by contacting any Town Clerk in Vermont. This will need to be signed by celebrant after the wedding. This is then returned to the civil court. This is our friendly reminder to bring this with you to the rehearsal and give it to celebrant who will sign it after the wedding and who will file it with the court. Town Clerk near us: Windham County: 802-257-2898 or Stratton: 802-896-6184
____***Cover letter and any of the above paperwork generated from out of state must be faxed from Bride or Groom’s Pastor DIRECTLY to the Diocese of Bride with instructions for them to fax it to Rev. Monsignor John McDermott (Fax # 802-658-0436) who will then give us an OK. If the Bride is not Catholic, then you should inquire with the Diocese of the Groom.
If unable to fax, feel free to mail all necessary paperwork to:
Rev. Msgr. John J. McDermott, Chancellor
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
55 Joy Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403
(Reason: We are part of the Burlington Diocese and all of the above paperwork must go to them first. (Church records need to be sent to the parish in which you are planning to be married. Baptismal records, need to be sent to our parish so that your sacramental records in those parishes can be updated.) We are here to help and welcome any questions you may have in this process. Email or call with any of your concerns or questions to: ourladyofmer[email protected]vermontcatholic.org or call 802-387-5861
***If both parties have been baptized in the Catholic faith, the approved paperwork from your Diocese may be sent directly to us: Our Lady of Mercy, 31 Cherry Hill Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101. Any officiating Priest or Deacon from out of state will need to send their appropriate paperwork at our Diocese to the above address.
Scheduling and fees:
____*** There is a $200.00 fee (made payable to: Our Lady of Mercy) due 6 weeks prior to your wedding date for filing the paperwork required to ensure that your Sacrament of Marriage is properly filed in the Catholic Church through the Diocese of Vermont. This filing will ensure proper documentation for future Baptisms, Anointing of the Sick and other Sacraments pertaining to the Catholic Church. (This fee does not include the renting of the Chapel of the Snows building from the Chapel of the Snows Foundation. See below for contact information.)
Mail to: Our Lady of Mercy, 31 Cherry Hill Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101.
*** This fee is for the use of: Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Chapel of the Snows Parish and the White Church in Grafton.
____Stratton Mountain: Contact: Deacon Jerry Driscoll-- [email protected], 802-297-2373- for rehearsal access close to the time of your wedding ceremony. He will ensure the Chapel of the Snows building has the necessary items for a Catholic wedding ceremony. ***
____Stratton Mountain Wedding: Contact: Sherry Clark 802-430-9622 for scheduling and to rent their building (Chapel of the Snows). ***
***please note: Chapel of the Snows building and Chapel of the Snows Parish are two separate organizations and each have their own fee.
*** Chapel of the Snows Parish: If you are bringing someone to officiate, you will need to contact Deacon Jerry (as stated above) so that hosts, chalices etc. are available to the visiting priest/deacon.