The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments, instituted by Christ Himself, which are outward signs of an inward grace acting in our souls.

Holy Matrimony

Marriage is the union between a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and love. God is the author of marriage which consists of: the union of opposite sexes, a lifelong union (ending only with the death of one spouse) and the mutual consent of both parties.

Sacramental marriage is a type and symbol of the divine union between Christ (the Bridegroom) and His Church (the Bride).

Holy Matrimony at OLP:

Congratulations on your engagement! Our Lady of the Pillar is pleased that you are considering OLP as the place to begin the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

These are only the first few steps of preparing for Marriage at OLP. Please download the Marriage Packet   Marriage Packet New

1. Thank you for contacting Our Lady of the Pillar for your wedding.

2. Confirming the date for your marriage and the rehearsal.

Contact the Parish Office at least 6 months ahead of time to see if your preferred date is available.

3. Priest/Deacon for your wedding.

  • If your presider is one of the OLP parish priests/deacon, you will be directed to him. He will assist you with the necessary paper work.
  • The church is not reserved until the presider is selected and the church fee is received.
  • If the presider is not a priest/deacon from Our Lady of the Pillar, the applicable forms must be received by the Associate Pastor before the church is reserved.
  • You will be directed to the Associate Pastor who will assist you in getting the necessary permission and the appropriate forms as needed.
  • All visiting priests/deacons must submit to the Associate Pastor The Agreement of the Officiating Priest/Deacon. If the visiting priest/deacon is from outside of the St. Louis Archdiocese, he must also submit a Letter of Suitability from his bishop or provincial superior.
  • If you live out of town and are undergoing preparations through a deacon/priest outside of Our Lady of the Pillar parish, the priest/deacon must send the appropriate papers to his local Chancery Office, who will then send them to the St. Louis Chancery Office for approval, one month in advance of the wedding. The approved documents will then be sent to the pastor of Our Lady of the Pillar.

4. The presider will ask for the following paper work:

  • Recent copies (within 6 months) of your baptismal certificates, if applicable. If you were not baptized at Our Lady of the Pillar, please contact the church in which you were baptized and request a recent copy of the certificate.
  • A Marriage License from St. Louis County must be obtained within 30 days of the wedding. Bring the Marriage License to the wedding rehearsal.
  • If either you or your fiancé have previously been married, bring a copy of the divorce decree and an annulment decree.*

* Please note that an annulment for a previous marriage, regardless of where the marriage took place, is required before you can marry in the Catholic Church. This can be a lengthy process, so apply for the annulment a minimum of one year in advance of your plans to marry.

The Church cannot be reserved until the annulment is obtained.

5. Planning Your Wedding

  • Weddings are usually celebrated on Friday evenings and Saturdays, between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Weddings are not usually scheduled on Holy Days.
  • The priest/deacon will help you plan your wedding.

6. THE WEDDING LITURGY

Because the Eucharist is the central prayer and worship of the Catholic Church, a wedding between two practicing Catholics is ordinarily celebrated during a Eucharistic Liturgy (Mass). If one of you is NOT Catholic, the Rite of Marriage will ordinarily take place within a service of Scripture readings and prayer, not a Mass.

7. Fees for use of the Church

Church fee must be paid to confirm the date on the church calendar.

  • Registered Parishioners
    • Registered longer than 6 months: $1,000.00
  • Non-Parishioners: $2,250.00