The Sacrament of Marriage
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Weddings
The clergy, staff, and parishioners of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul rejoice with you in your engagement to one another, and we will walk with you as you approach one of the most important days in your life, the beginning of the Sacred Covenant of Christian marriage.In asking to be married in the Catholic Church, you are publicly proclaiming your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and asking to live as disciples of Christ in the Sacrament of Marriage. The sacred liturgy of your wedding, which begins your married life by the solemn exchange of marital consent, is above all else an act of worship, and we will help you prepare both for that happy day and for the lifetime of marriage that follows your nuptial liturgy.
We understand that you are concerned to have every detail of your wedding carefully planned and well-executed, and we will work with you to ensure that the sacred liturgy is a beautiful and memorable event for you and your families and friends. We ask you to remember that your wedding, although an intensely personal moment for you, is not a private event; rather, it is a public celebration of one of the seven Sacraments given to the Church by the Lord Jesus. For this reason, we must take care to ensure that the sacred liturgy is celebrated according to the mind of the Church and in conformity with liturgical law and local custom.
For complete details and for all policies, please locate the "Documents" section on this page and download the "Policy and Procedures" document. You can also download the complete Scripture Readings and Propers for weddings, as well as the forms you will need to fill out with information about your wedding liturgy.
Marriage Preparation
The Basilica's preparation program conforms to the Marriage Preparation Guidelines in the Diocese of Knoxville. Preparation for marriage at the Basilica requires reading and preparing documents, a pre-nuptial investigation, catechesis, and liturgical preparation, including several meetings with the priest or deacon and other marriage preparation staff.
Steps for Marriage Preparation at the Basilica - Please Read
IMPORTANT Guidance Regarding Previous Marriages: We cannot initiate wedding scheduling or marriage preparation for any couple with a previous marriage (while the former spouse(s) are still living), until such time as a decree of nullity has been issued by the Catholic Church. Unless a decree of nullity is issued by the Catholic Church through the Tribunal process, past marriage(s) are regarded by the Catholic Church as binding for life, even if there has been a civil divorce or annulment. Visit the Tribunal of Knoxville website for more information on annulments and initiating the annulment process.
Baptism Certificates
It will be necessary for both bride and groom to obtain current certificates of baptism from the church where you were baptized. (Your original certificate is not sufficient, unless you were baptized less than 6 months prior.) Please request a currently issued certificate with notations of all other sacraments you have received, including any previous marriages in the Catholic Church. This is needed to help establish your freedom to marry. If your subsequent sacraments were done at a different parish and did not get recorded at your parish of Baptism, you may need to ask those other parishes to submit your sacramental records to your parish of Baptism, so that they can record it there. (This information should have already been transferred by the parishes where you received the other sacraments, but it sometimes gets overlooked.) If after pursuing these certificates, you are unable to obtain them, a parent or other family member can submit an affidavit attesting that you were baptized. If the bride or groom has not been baptized, exceptional special permission from the Bishop would need to be granted before you can marry.
Resources
- Our Basilica clergy highly recommend watching the Beloved series on FORMED when preparing for the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. You can sign up for a free FORMED account with the Basilica's FORMED subscription at www.stspeterandpaulbasilica.formed.org and locate our parish name and address in the list.
- Short videos from the Better Together marriage preparation series by Dynamic Catholic
Contact Us
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Documents
- Marriage Situations (Regular and Irregular)
- Steps for Marriage Preparation at the Basilica (7/2/22)
- Wedding Policy and Procedures (Revised 7/29/20)
- Wedding/Marriage Prep Request Form (edit, save, and email or turn in to parish office)
- Affidavit of Baptism for Person to Be Married
- Testmonio del Hecho de Baptismo
- Affidavit Concerning the Freedom to Marry
- Catechism paragraphs on The Sacament of Matrimony (1601-1666)
- Wedding Music and Scriptures Selection Form (Revised 4/20/21)
- Scripture Readings and Propers (List Revised 2/20/19)
- Catequesis sobre el Matrimonio (17 de noviembre, 2019)
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From the Pastor
Sermon on Marriage (7/3/22)Marriage Situations (Regular and Irregular)
Pastor's Notes May 12, 2019: Wedding Season and Wisdom
Pastor's Notes May 19, 2019: The Underground Railroad out of the Culture of Death *
* The Basilica parish community is forming an "Underground Railroad" of homes to help engaged people avoid or leave the situation of cohabitation prior to marriage. If you are interested in offering a room in your home to an engaged person for a short period, in support of chastity and sacramental marriage - or if you are seeking to avoid or leave your own situation of cohabitation prior to marriage, please contact the parish office or click Contact below.
Para Nuestra Comunidad Hispana
Catequesis sobre el Matrimonio, por P. David Carter, 17 de noviembre 2019 (LEER)
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Retreats/Resources for Engaged Couples
As part of your marriage preparation at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, please view the "Beloved" video series, which can be accessed here using our parish FORMED subscription.
The Diocese of Knoxville requires that couples attend a retreat for engaged couples as part of the marriage preparation. There are two retreat programs recommended by the Diocese of Knoxville's Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment.- Picture of Love will be in Chattanooga on Feb. 3-4 and Sept. 22-23, 2023.
- Engaged Encounter will be held in Knoxville in 2023 on Mar. 11-12 and Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2023
- If one of the local retreat options will not work for you, check the Catholic Engaged Encounter website for a listing of retreats nationwide, including some virtual retreats. (In-person is recommended if possible.)
Click here for a current listing of programs and dates offered in our Diocese, and follow the links to register.
Contact the Office of Preparation and Enrichment at 423-892-2310 for more information.Connect with our Basilica Married & Engaged Ministry
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Natural Family Planning (NFP)
Introductory Class on Morality and NFP
A Catholic Introduction to Natural Family Planning [Free Online NFP Class] (vitaefertility.com)
Amanda Smith, a member of our Basilica Marriage Preparation Team, is a nurse who teaches Natural Family Planning in the context of Catholic moral teaching, both as a free introductory class for marriage preparation and as an in-depth class to fully learn the Marquette method. Amanda and her husband KJ have five children and joined the Basilica in 2021.
This free introductory class on NFP is offered by Zoom on the third Tuesday of the month at 8:30pm (taught by Amanda as well as other Catholic instructors). The class meets the Basilica's marriage preparation requirement for NFP and is also useful for already-married couples. Contact Amanda Smith at [email protected] for more information.
In-Depth NFP Classes
Amanda Smith, Marquette Method Instructor in Tennessee (vitaefertility.com)
Amanda's group at Vitae Fertility teaches clients via Zoom from all over the world who are looking to use the Marquette Method of NFP. The fee of $230 includes the initial class instruction via one-to-one zoom with your instructor, a comprehensive book detailing the Marquette Method and access to your instructor for an entire year for troubleshooting, help with problems and answering questions. After the year, you can renew for another year for a small fee.
See the Natural Family Planning page on the Diocese of Knoxville website or the Couple to Couple League website for more resources on Natural Family Planning.Listen
Contraception: Why Not, by Janet E. Smith, PhD (free digital download) - Why the Catholic Church still teaches that sex, love and life are totally made for each other
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Resources for Marriage, Separation, and Divorce
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Enrichment and Healing for Marriage
Beloved - Video series for engaged and married couples (free with our parish FORMED subscription)- Trailer
For Your Hurting Marriage (Diocese of Knoxville) - connect with therapists and programs
Counseling Services - Catholic Charities of East Tennessee
Covenant Family Connections - Marriage & Family Therapy (Member of Catholic Psychotherapy Association)
Retrouvaille - a lifeline for marriage—a program to help couples heal and renew their marriage (in-person and virtual weekend retreats available)
The Alexander House - Marriage Disciples Program - Online Resources (low-cost) - by Greg & Julie Alexander
Annulment Process
Tribunal of Knoxville - Videos of the Annulment Process - by Fr. David Carter, JCL, JV
Separation and Divorce
Divorce and the Catholic Church: FAQ - a short downloadable booklet by the Australian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Catholic Divorce Ministry of the North American Conference of Separated and Divorced Catholics, Inc. (NACSDC) - Resources
DivorcedCatholic.com - Recovering from Divorce Online Program - Blog - Daily Inspirations - Books - by Vincent Frese
CatholicsDivorce.com - Common Questions - Resources - Surviving Divorce Program - by Rose Sweet
Love and Responsibility, a book by Pope John St. Paul II
Beginning Experience - Peer grief accompaniment for separated, divorced, or widowed spousesComing Soon via the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul:
STASIS - Sts. Anna and Simeon Society
Our mission is to form and equip spiritual guides and partners to provide the spiritual accompaniment and encouragement necessary to those who are in irregular or difficult marriage situations who desire to remain in the truth of Christ about marriage or who desire to come into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Anna & Simeon were faithful people who belonged to a covenant that had experienced a lot of strife. They went to the Temple every night praying for their Savior. Remain faithful.
Homily by David Carter about the envisioned Sts. Anna and Simeon Society (10/3/21)
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Scriptures about Divorce and Remarriage
Luke 16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."
Mark 10:11-12 “He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Romans 7:2-3 “Thus a married woman is bound by law to her living husband; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law in respect to her husband.
Consequently, while her husband is alive she will be called an adulteress if she consorts with another man. But if her husband dies she is free from that law, and she is not an adulteress if she consorts with another man.”
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 “To the married, however, I give this instruction (not I, but the Lord): A wife should not separate from her husband—and if she does separate she must either remain single or become reconciled to her husband—and a husband should not divorce his wife.”
Matthew 5:32 “But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:8-9 “He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.”
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News
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Our 2022-23 Annual Stewardship Appeal has begun. This appeal is to support the regular operation of our parish through Offertory giving. It is separate from the Under One Roof campaign to replace our roof and heating & air conditioner systems. We are aiming for 100% participation in our Offertory by all parishioners. The pledge will be conducted during Mass on October 22 & 23 (Click to view and submit the pledge on our Stewardship page at any time.) Thank you for your generous support for our parish.Read More
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Events
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Sunday, May 28, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Bishop Stika will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to Catholic adults in the diocese who have already received the Sacrament of Baptism. The next Confirmation Mass for adults will be on Pentecost Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 4pm, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville. Click for details on registering. To receive Confirmation, Catholics must be living in accord with the marriage laws of the Church.Read More
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