Weddings are normally scheduled on Saturdays, but may be celebrated any day of the week except Sunday. The prospective bride and groom are required to make arrangements with one of the priests at least six months prior to the anticipated wedding by calling (412) 833-0031.

All couples are required to attend a Pre-Marriage Enrichment Program.  Please visit www.diopitt.org for information.

For more information about music for your wedding Mass, please download the: Wedding Music guidelines document.  You will also need the Wedding Music Selection list.

In each of the sacraments, a window opens and we can glimpse the mystery of God and God’s plan for the salvation of the world. In Christian marriage we see that God was not content to be alone, but embarked on a whole new life project. Out of love God created us and all that is. God is faithful no matter what. Whether we are faithful or faithless, God is faithful; whether we wander away in sin or remain in the embrace of love, God is always there and is ever ready to embrace us.

This sacramental sign, which the husband and wife give to each other, they also give to the entire community of witnesses. We have never seen God, but we can see the fidelity of Christian husbands and wives. Their love for each other is a sacramental sign and witness of God’s love for us.

Whose Wedding Is It?

Marriage is a covenant “by which a man and woman establish between themselves a partnership for the whole of life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1601). Usually we think of this covenant in a rather personal and individual context: It exists for the good of the spouses and the good of their children. We sometimes think of the wedding ceremony which establishes this covenant as belonging to the bride and groom, as if it were their wedding alone. They can invite whomever they want, sing their favorite songs and arrange the ceremony as they please, we might think.

The Second Vatican Council reminds us that the marriage covenant exists not only for the good of the partners and their children, but also for the good of the Church and the good of society at large (see Church in the Modern World, #48).

In the years following the Second Vatican Council one of the important changes that has taken place in our understanding of the sacraments is that we are coming to realize more and more that sacraments are “not private functions, but are celebrations belonging to the Church…Liturgical services involve the whole Body of the Church; they manifest it and have effects upon it” (Constitution on the Liturgy, #26).

Clearly, a wedding has an intimate and personal relation to the bride and groom. In many important ways, it is their wedding. But a Christian wedding is also an ecclesial event; this is why it is celebrated at Eucharist. Every marriage is important to the entire parish.

Getting Married?

You will need to:

1. Contact the parish many months in advance. Parishes usually require 6 months advance notice, or even more when coordinating arrangements with a banquet hall.
2. Participate in a marriage preparation program. There are several options available. When meeting with the priest or deacon, these will be explained. The programs include: going to pre-Cana presentations, workshops or weekend retreat (such as Engaged Encounter).
3. Know where you were baptized. You will need a recent copy of your baptismal certificate to show you are free to marry in the Catholic Church.
4. Interview with a priest or deacon. During this interview you will be asked if you are free to marry, and about your understanding of the commitment you are making and your ability to live it out. This is a good opportunity for you to ask questions, too.
5. Learn about the wedding liturgy. Local customs vary on who selects music, plans the liturgy and so on.

Looking to Develop a Better Marriage?

A Marriage Encounter Weekend may be what you are looking for. At a Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the original and continually updated marriage enrichment program, you get away from the distractions of everyday life and focus on each other. Instead of simply listening to lectures about how to improve your marriage, you will actually be improving your marriage. Check out: www. wwme.org for more information.

Is Your Marriage in Trouble?

The word Retrouvaille™ (pronounced re-tro-vi with a long i.) is a French word meaning rediscovery. The program offers tools needed to rediscover a loving marriage relationship. Thousands of couples headed for cold, unloving relationships or divorce have successfully overcome their marriage problems by attending the program. Check out www.retrouvaille.org for more information.