Marriage Preparation

Pre-Cana

In the Catholic Church, marriage preparation is known as Pre-Cana. This term is a Biblical reference to the Wedding Feast at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine as depicted in the Basilica stained glass window below.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION
FOR PARISHIONERS OF ST. LAWRENCE
(Non-Parishioners - see note below)

In the Diocese of Charlotte, there is a six month minimum time-frame for Pre-Cana. The priest in charge of your Pre-Cana directs the spiritual formation of the couple during this time.

The preparation process is:

Read all the material and policies on this Wedding portion of our parish website.
Complete the Wedding Inquiry Form. We will reply with an invitation and password for you to make an appointment with the Priest (step #3)
Request an initial appointment to meet with the Priest. who will assist you in the Pre-Cana process. Click here: Appointment Request to Meet with Pastor
Wedding Preparation Steps for St Lawrence Parisioners and Priests - Please download this PDF, located in the sidbar, to review prior to attending your Initial Appointment with the Pastor. This document lays out the requirements for completing your pre-Cana at the Basilica of St Lawrence. This PDF has active links to forms and URLs you will need.
Completion of the Pre-Cana Marriage Preparation Program presented by the Diocese of Charlotte. Please send the certificate to the Basilica. You can register at this link: Diocese of Charlotte Marriage Preparation Class

IMPORTANT NOTE TO NON-PARISHIONERS:

Marriage Preparation for non-Parishioners will be similar but will be directed by the Pastor of the couple’s Parish. He will send pre-Cana documentation to the Chancery of the couple’s Diocese for approval who will, in turn, send the approved documentation to the Diocese of Charlotte. Reading over the above section should give you an idea of what to expect in your own parish.