JC’s Little Helper
Thursday, 26 August 2004 08:56After several days of waiting, the “wedding planner” at the Newark Cathedral has responded to our inquiry. It’s sad to see that even the Catholic Church has jumped on the suck-all-the-life-out-of-young-couples bandwagon, and set the princely sum of $2000 for the privilege of having your wedding at the Newark Cathedral. My favorite part is that you have to BYOP (Bring Your Own Priest) if you actually want a full Catholic mass. Here’s the email from JC’s little helper, MC:
—–Original Message—–
From: Mary Clare McAlee [mailto:bloodsuckingparasite@rcan.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 10:40 AM
To: justtryingtogetmarriedwithoutspendingafortune@patandmeg.com
Subject: Weddings at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred HeartCathedral Basilica of the Sacred
Heart
Newark, NJWedding
GuidelinesAt least one of the couple who desire a wedding at the Cathedral
Basilica of the Sacred
Heart must be a practicing Catholic who is registered at a parish and
able to obtain a
letter of permission upon requestIf one of the couple has had a previous marriage, an appointment with
the Deacon at the
Cathedral is necessary and all paperwork must be complete before a
wedding date can be
booked. This process can take between a month and year depending on
the
circumstances of the previous marriage. A civil divorce does not
satisfy the requirements
of a church annulment.Catholics may be married in the context of a Mass with communion or in
a ceremony
without communion. The Cathedral Deacon can preside for ceremonies, but
anyone
desiring a Mass must make arrangements to bring their own priest to
preside. The
Cathedral does not provide priests for non parishoner weddings.All weddings at the Cathedral Basilica take place using the approved
Rite of Marriage
without any adaptations. There is no unity candle at the wedding nor
does the couple
write their own vows. There are no exceptions.Nothing can be thrown inside or outside of the Cathedral, i.e. rice,
confetti or birdseed
outside, petals down the aisle inside.Photographers can take candid pictures during the wedding, but there
are no posed
pictures allowed inside the Cathedral before or after a wedding and
photographers may
not stop the wedding for the purpose of picture taking. Formal, posed
pictures can be
taken outside or at another location.Weddings at the Cathedral Basilica take place on Fridays at 3:00 or
4:00 PM and
Saturdays at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:00 PM. You should make
arrangements as
soon as possible to book the church since not all Fridays and Saturdays
are available.The couple must make all contacts with the Cathedral regarding all
aspects of their
wedding themselves. Parents, friends, and wedding coordinators will be
asked to have
the couple make contact themselves.The fee schedule for weddings at the Cathedral Basilica is as follows:
For practicing Catholics registered with a parish located within the
Archdiocese of
Newark
$1200.00For practicing Catholics registered with a parish located outside of
the Archdiocese of
Newark in the State of New Jersey
$1500.00For practicing Catholics registered with a parish located outside of
the State of New
Jersey
$2000.00All fees include a Cathedral organist and cantor which you’re required
to use.All bookings are handled by phone. Please feel free to e-mail or call
with questions at the number and times below.Take Care,
MC (Mary Clare McAlee)
Weddings Administrator
(973) 666-XXXX
General Hours
T – 9-1
TH – 9-5
Categories: Wedding
1 Comment »
One Response to “JC’s Little Helper”
I have a beef with this place.
I am having my wedding there because it was very special to me when I used to attend mass there as a person who lived in NJ near the church.
I was not allowed either to be consider a parishioner, even though I used to attend mass there, nor qualify for the 1300 discounted fee, as I had moved for just one year from the parish. Granted I was not registered and receiving envelopes.
I have been a dutiful Catholic my whole life. I was brought up to go to church weekly. Generally I have maintained that with some spurts of missing mass occassionally.
We have had nothing but negative aggrevation from this Church.
Since registering our wedding I became unemployed with a job lined up whose start date was pushed back 4 months. So instead of being unemployed for say 30 days, I will be unemployed for 4.5 months or 5m.
Not my choice. Obviously I had an emergency fund, but some of that was used up, and also to help wityh costs of the wedding.
You would think this church could have some charity to go around. NO. 2K for me. Even after attending mass there.
I used to say Novenas to the Blessed Mother. I would attend weekly mass there. That doesn’t count in this Church.
It only counts how much monty you can give them.
They figure if they can charge exorbitantly high rates to couples who want to be married in their church they can bank-roll the normal expenses of the church, because the general population of Newark probably can’t afford to.
I don’t understand even 1300 for a family who attends church there who are residents of Newark. Seems crazy
When I further inquired about my situation, a NEW rule was made clear to me, that you had to be a registered parishioner with 3 years of attendance.
I guess they figure over 3 years you would have given the other 700 dollars to make the balance of the 1300- to 2K difference in costs for parishioners and non-parishioners.
We too had to find out own priest and pay for that, bc for $2000 they do not provide a priest if you want a mass.
They act like they are doing you a favor for $2000, and fail to relaize how much that is and how it’s hard to come up with that money in a short time.
I have never felt so poorly treated in my life, when i explained that i used to attend madd there but for me it would be an extra 700 dollars. Or when I heard the prices in general.
What about the many people who never go to church who then decide they want to get married in the Cathedral, or that church or any church and they welcome them with open arms, only to become Cafeteria Catholics, who go to church when they pick and choose.
We and my family are not very happy with this institution. It’s not that I don’t have faith or like the Catholic Church, but this is GREEDY, and seems very uncharitable.
It has caused a great deal of anger, and negative emotions for myself, my fiancee, and family.
I understand they are just trying to do their jobs and are volunteers, but it just seems they don’t see this price as supremely prohibitive or unfair.
They treat it like it’s pocket change for them.
Another annoyed but faithful catholic
Care to comment?