Marriage

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Contact: Dale Sieverding, Director of Worship | (310) 566-1520 |

St. Monica and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are complying with LA County Safer-At-Home restrictions.

Therefore the Sacrament of Matrimony is suspended through May 15. Since information and decisions change rapidly, this guideline is subject to change at any time. Contact Dale Sieverding, Director of Worship, for more information: (310) 566-1520 or

Congratulations on your engagement! Your decision to enter into the relationship of marriage is a wonderful sign of hope and strength to the faith community of St. Monica. You have reached your decision after much discussion and prayerful thought, but it is just the first step in the process of building a successful marriage. With your family and friends, you will be sharing your commitment with the community and become for us a sign and symbol of God’s great love for the human family.

The process of marriage preparation at St. Monica is two-fold. 1) We have a program to help you prepare for married life – the rest of your life and 2) We will help you prepare for the celebration of your wedding day. Please be sure to read the content below and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Contact: Dale Sieverding, Director of Worship | (310) 566-1520 |

St. Monica and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are complying with LA County Safer-At-Home restrictions.

Pre-Wedding Steps

1. Marriage Information Night

Those wishing to be married at St. Monica Catholic Church, or prepared here for a wedding elsewhere, must attend one of our Marriage Information Nights that are generally held on the 4th Wednesday of each month and lasts approximately an hour. Attending is the first step in marriage preparation at St. Monica and must be completed before any specific wedding arrangements can be made. During the meeting you will be given an overview of the marriage preparation process as well as information about the FOCCUS communication survey and counseling sessions, Engaged Encounter weekend and our Start Right, Stay Connected communication workshop. There is also a brief presentation on the Catholic Theology of Marriage. You will also hear from a recently married couple who will speak about their experience of preparation at St. Monica.

At this time, phone or zoom meetings can take place to begin the marriage preparation process.
Our Marriage Information Night, scheduled for April 22, 2020 will be held via Zoom Conference.
You must pre-register for the event. Please complete the form below and email completed form to afterwhich you will receive an email invitation to join.

Schedule for 2020

May 27, June 24

Meetings are held in the Caruso Community Center A/B at 7:15 p.m.
Dates and times subject to change.

Please complete the Marriage Intake Form below and email a copy to in order to complete your registration.

Marriage Intake Form Please type your information into the form before you print.

2. Meet with priest
Once you have attended Marriage Information Night, our sacrament coordinator will contact you to set up your first appointment with one of our priests--at which time, if you are free to marry, you will set a date for your wedding.

3. FOCCUS survey – Meeting with FOCCUS counselor

The Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study Inventory (FOCCUS) is a tool to help couples explore the many dimensions of their relationship and married life together. This is not a test, but rather, a tool for couples to explore areas of compatibility and incompatibility. You will take the FOCCUS survey online, then be assigned to work with one of our IMAGO trained, Marriage and Family Counselors.

4. Engaged Encounter

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles requires that couples who've never been married attend the Engaged Encounter weekend. It is a two-day retreat to help couples prepare for marriage, learn more about each other and gain important relationship skills to build a successful marriage. You can sign up for the engaged encounter weekend at www.ceeofla.org. More information about the weekend can be found at www.la-archdiocese.org/org/familylife/Pages/cee.aspx

Couples who've previously been married in a civil ceremony or couples where one or both have been previously married are required to attend a special Engaged Encounter session designed specifically for these situations. Please contact Candy Metoyer at

5. Start Right, Stay Connected Workshop - OPTIONAL

Our marriage and family counselors, Dr. Michael DiPaolo and Mary Kay Cocharo have developed a one-day communication workshop to further strengthen couples’ communication skills for committed relationships.

You will be provided with a schedule at Marriage Information Night.

6. Submit Required Documents & Fees

At Marriage Information Night, you will be given a booklet that will provide complete details for planning a wedding at Monica w/marriage preparation AND marriage preparation with a wedding planned elsewhere. The details will include a checklist of all legal documents and fees.

Required Documents

Since marriage celebrates the unbreakable commitment between a man and a woman who are free to make this mature decision in the community of believers, certain documents are required to establish your sacramental status within the Church, your freedom from any previous unions, as well as sworn statements attesting to your clear understanding of the nature and responsibilities of Marriage. When a Catholic prepares to marry someone from another faith tradition, a specific document or "dispensation" is also required. The following items are required documents.

Baptismal Certificate
A newly issued copy of your baptismal certificate (with notations regarding confirmation and prior marriages) is required for those who are Catholic. This can be obtained by contacting the Catholic’s church of baptism and requesting a new certificate. For those baptized in another Christian faith, a copy of the original baptismal certificate is sufficient.
Letters of Freedom (forms provided by the parish)
This is a sworn statement, witnessed by a priest, minister or notary public, attesting that you have never been married before, in either a church or civil ceremony, and that there is no known impediment to the marriage. Parents normally fill this out, or others who have known you most or all of your life may complete it. Two letters are required for each party to the marriage. There are alternatively worded Letters of Freedom for those who are widowed and those who have been granted a Church annulment.
Permissions and Dispensations
In the case of an "Ecumenical Marriage" (the union of a Catholic and a person baptized in another Christian faith), a “Permission for Mixed Marriage” form must be completed by the Priest and either signed or witnessed by the parties. In the case of an "Inter-religious Marriage" (the marriage of a Catholic and a person that has not been baptized in another religious tradition), a “Petition For Dispensation from Disparity of Worship” must be completed by the Priest and either signed or witnessed by the parties.

In both cases, the parties are expected to demonstrate a willingness to commit themselves to honest dialogue concerning their respective religious traditions, and to make sincere efforts to understand and respect each other’s beliefs. As part of the process, the Catholic party signs a declaration stating that he/she is prepared to remove dangers of falling away from the faith, and promises to do all in his/her power to have all the children baptized and brought up in the Catholic church. The non-Catholic party acknowledges an awareness of the obligations of his/her Catholic spouse to preserve and profess his/her faith, and to do all possible to baptize and educate the children of the marriage in the Catholic faith.
Civil License
The County Court registers all civil documents. Therefore, any questions you have regarding the procurement of the civil license or other civil concerns should be addressed to the Court. Licenses are valid for ninety days from the date they are issued. The marriage license must be given to the Wedding Coordinator no later than the day of the rehearsal. Please note that it is against the law for the ceremony to take place without a civil license. At the time of a couple’s first appointment with a priest, information will be given on obtaining a marriage license in the County of Los Angeles.
Pre-Nuptial Inquiry
This takes place with the priest and is for the purpose of determining your freedom and appropriate intentions in your preparation for marriage.

FAQS

1. Can I get married at St. Monica? What are the requirements?

Anyone can get married at St. Monica, as long as either the bride or groom is baptized Roman Catholic. To be given preference of wedding dates/times and be eligible for our discounted parishioner wedding fees, at least one of parties must also be an active, registered parishioner of St. Monica for at least one year from the date you attend Marriage Information Night. If you do not live within the parish boundaries and/or are not a registered parishioner, you CAN be married at St. Monica, however, we cannot guarantee your first choice of wedding date and time, and a different fee schedule will apply.

Where do we begin?

After attending Marriage Information Night, wedding arrangements begin with an interview of the couple by one of our priests. Our sacrament coordinator will contact you to set up an appointment. This is for all couples whether you are getting married at St. Monica or at another Catholic church.At this meeting, the priest will fill out the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry, one of the required documents listed on pages 4-5. Also, provided there are no special circumstances that arise, couples will set a date and time for the ceremony at this first meeting. There is at least a six-month preparation time required for marriage. If you’ve been previously married, you must bring with you A Declaration of Nullity (annulment) to this meeting.

2. When do we set the date?

Provided there are no special circumstances that arise, a date and time of the ceremony will be set at the first meeting with a priest. There is at least a six-month preparation time required for marriage.

3. What are the times available for Weddings?

Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, as well as on Fridays at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Preference is given to active, registered parishioners for the 3:00 pm Saturday wedding slot. Weddings are not celebrated on Sundays at St. Monica.

4. Who will answer our questions about the wedding itself?

The questions which specifically deal with the liturgy itself, i.e., the choice of readings, whether or not to have a "full Mass" or a "ceremony", etc., will be answered by the priest you have chosen to witness your marriage. Questions concerning things like music, floral arrangements and decorations, photographs and the like is explained by our wedding coordinators. Our wedding coordinators provide an invaluable service to each couple, which includes scheduling the rehearsal itself, and making sure everything runs smoothly on the day of your wedding. You will be assisted by our associate director of music and liturgy, Jeffrey Bonilla, and St. Monica cantors/vocalists in planning the music for your wedding.

5. What if we are getting married elsewhere?

For those couples being married in a Catholic Church outside the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we are happy to assist you with your marriage preparation. (1) We will refer you to an Engaged Encounter Weekend Retreat, (2) sign each couple up with FOCCUS to take the FOCCUS inventory on-line, (3) have you meet with one of our marriage counselors, (4) have you complete the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry, (5) have you sign up for Start Right, Stay Connected Workshop, and (6) collect all required documents from you and forward them with the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for their approval and forwarding to the Diocesan Office where you are to be married.

6. Are there any fees?

Yes. We have two different fee schedules. One is for those who are active in our parish and have been registered at least one year from the date you attend Marriage Information Night. The other schedule is for those who have been registered for less than one year or are not registered with the parish on the date they attend Marriage Information Night. We also have separate fees depending on if you want to get married at St. Monica w/marriage preparation vs. those who want to prepare here only and have their wedding elsewhere.

We also have a separate fee of $2000 for those couples who live outside our parish boundaries, are preparing elsewhere, and want to schedule the wedding only in our church.

7. If we get married at St. Monica, do we have to have a full Mass?

There are two different forms of the Rite of Marriage: the Rite of Marriage with Mass, and the Rite of Marriage Outside Mass. With a Mass is the prefered form of Catholic wedding liturgy when both the bride and the groom are Catholic. The Rite of Marriage Outside Mass is preferred when a Catholic person marries a baptized person who is not Catholic or an unbaptized person.

Download a copy of the wedding program

Music

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding -- we are honored that you have chosen St. Monica as the spiritual center of your marriage! We are excited to help you plan the perfect music for your wedding day. Please use this online "self-service" resource to facilitate your planning and give time to carefully choose your music.

Due to the high number of weddings that are performed at St. Monica, it is policy that guest musicians are not allowed. This is to insure the quality of music that St. Monica is known for and to make your wedding day go as smoothly and flawlessly as possible. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Please Note: Once you have decided on whom you'd like to participate in your wedding, please contact Sacraments Coordinator Dorothy Butcher with your choice at or (310) 566-1523. She will contact you with the next steps.

Helena Buscema

Helena Buscema has been a cantor and liturgy planner for St. Monica and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for over 20 years. She is proficient in singing styles of Contemporary Christian, Gospel and Traditional songs. Helena began cantoring when she was a teenager at St. Cecilia Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. She received training as a cantor and liturgy planner at Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, CA through the years.

Helena has been a professional singer for TV commercials, TV shows and feature films for over 20 years as well. She also cantors and plans music for Christ the King Church in Hollywood at the 8:30am Mass on Sunday. At Hope Lutheran Church in Hollywood for over 15 years, she has been the music director, song leader and plans music for the service. You may hear Helena cantering/singing at the 5:30pm Sunday night Mass. For many years she has enjoyed singing and planning weddings with the brides and grooms to give them a beautiful Nuptial Mass.

Sample 1: Love Never Fails

Sample 2: Blessed Are Those Who Love You
Phoebe Crenshaw

Phoebe Crenshaw is a professional musician, graphic designer, and fine artist. Having been encouraged to pursue her passion for the arts at an early age, she has performed in musical, theater, television and studio productions since the age of three. She has been a part of our music and youth ministries at St.Monica and other parishes throughout Los Angeles for over a decade. In 2004 she pursued her vocation in liturgical music under the tutelage of Ed Archer, the former Assoc. Dir. of Music and Liturgy at St.Monica and John Flaherty, Director of Liturgy and Music at LMU. Since then she has attended, coordinated and participated in several liturgical music and faith formation workshops and events including internationally known Music Ministry Alive- a workshop geared towards educating Catholic youth on liturgy and encouraging them to use their musical talents to minister in their parishes. She feels incredibly blessed to have been given an opportunity to share her gifts in a way that gives back to her community- especially with couples embarking on the God-inspired journey of love and friendship that is marriage. She can be heard at the Saturday 5:30pm Vigil Mass, 9:30am Family Mass, 11:30am Traditional Mass and 1:15 Youth Mass.

Phoebe is a versatile alto/mezzo soprano whose heartfelt vocals soar in Alternative, Contemporary, Jazz, Soul, R+B, Legit, and Gospel vocal genres. She is frequently asked to sing classical selections such as Ave Maria and The Prayer as well. She loves singing as the main cantor, in a duet, or within an ensemble.

Sample 1: Can't Help Falling in Love (piano, cello, violin, guitar)

Sample 2: Love Never Fails You (piano, cello, violin, guitar)
Haley Deakers

For Haley Deakers, singing has been a life-long passion. She grew up singing in choirs in and out of school, and at church. She continued developing her vocal skills in college, earning her minor in Music from Santa Clara University, where she also enjoyed singing in multiple choirs and an a cappella group.

Haley has been singing professionally for years. She can be heard weekly at the St. Monica 5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass, and occasionally on stages throughout Hollywood, as background vocals or in jingles for TV. She loves singing in the Catholic setting and helping others connect to God through prayerful song and music.

Sample 1: Sacred Pledge

Sample 2: Set Me As a Seal
Cesar Marquez

Cesar Marquez is a professional musician, designer and builder. The youngest of nine, son of 2 musically gifted parents, he gravitated to music at a very early age. He has performed in musical theatre, television and major record label studio productions. He has served as Lead Cantor for the Saturday 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass for over 10 years and continues to be thoroughly engaged in Music & Liturgy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and sister parishes throughout Southern California. Gifted with a warm, buttery vocal tone, he is frequently asked to sing classic compositions, such as Schubert’s Ave Maria which he was honored to sing before an audience of 50,000 at the 2007 Catholic Rosary Bowl at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. He considers himself humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to assist couples in custom-planning, facilitating and singing for their most special day, their Sacred Matrimony. He can be heard weekly at the Saturday 5:30 Vigil Mass and other weekly Masses alternately.

Cesar is a multi-faceted Tenor/Baritone whose passionate & soulful vocals transcend musical genres: from Contemporary, R&B, Jazz, Soul, Alternative, to Classical, Standards, and Praise & Worship. He is comfortable singing in English, Spanish, Italian & Latin and works regularly with top caliber musicians and singers in the LA music scene. He is avail as your Soloist, or can facilitate a duet, small ensemble, full choir or band.

Sample 1 (soft) :
Shelter Me, O God, accompaniment: Piano

Sample 2 (upbeat):
Everything, ensemble includes: keyboard, acoustic guitar, percussion, cello, female vocal)
Teresa Weiss

Singer Teresa Weiss is a blend of the soulful sound of yesteryear, with soaring tones in the likes of the great Ella Fitzgerald, with a quirky flair reminiscent of the late Amy Winehouse. A military brat, Teresa spent her early years moving from California to Kuwait and everywhere in between, to wherever her musically gifted US Marine Corp father (RIP) was stationed. Not surprisingly, she developed a passion for music early on.

She began singing as a soloist at the 5:30 Vigil Mass when she was only 12 years old, mentored in liturgical music by her music director uncle. A graduate of St. Monica Catholic High School, she studied under the tutelage of Director of Music Ed Archer where she quickly became a lead singer in musical theatre and concert performances. While having a great appreciation for American R&B and jazz, she is equally prolific in classical, pop, and of course, contemporary Catholic and praise & worship music. Mostly self-taught, Teresa played piano and guitar and began writing songs at an early age.

She can be heard weekly at the Saturday 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass, as well as young adult retreats, special liturgies and reconciliation services, at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Westwood on Sunday mornings at the 9:30 a.m. Mass, and other times at parishes throughout Los Angeles. She is also a frequent soloist at corporate and special events throughout the Los Angeles Region.

Teresa is avail as a Soloist, duet singer with male or female voices, or can coordinate a choir or full band.

Sample 1: Can't Help Falling in Love, piano & cello