Meeting with the priest

Yesterday, we finally got to sit with Monsignor Hardiman, who will be marrying us next October. He just so happens to be the pastor of the parish and I know he is a busy man, so I was grateful we got to sit down and chat when we did!

First, I had no idea we would be asked so many questions in an initial meeting! I soon learned it's a pretty standard process. They basically want to make sure your intentions in marrying one another are good and pure and that you haven't been married before. He started off with basic Q's: age, occupation, parents' names, our parishes, where we were born, easy stuff like that. Then he said one of us would have to leave the room temporarily so we could be questioned apart. I was like oh great, what could he possibly ask us that we can't be in the same room?! I let Jonathan go first. He took a few minutes and then Mnsgr. came out to get me. I figure he did that so that Jonathan couldn't clue me in on what was to come.

So I sat there, fearing a slew of personal questions that I would be embarrassed to answer, haha. Not that I would have lied about anything, but I'm just naturally a nervous nellie I guess. Well, they were personal but nothing too bad! Do we intend to have children in marriage (yes), have I ever been married before (no), is there something wrong with me mentally or physically that will affect the marriage (no), stuff like that. One question I found to be interesting enough that when Jonathan came back in the room, I asked him why those specific kinds of questions are being asked. Monsignor said they ask these specific questions because they are all reasons couple have been divorced in the past! I was blown away. I know people who have been affected by some of those topics he mentioned. Mnsgr gave an example from one of the couples he knew: a guy had lied when asked in the office, about not being married in the past because he didn't want his fiance to know...but then it came out right before the wedding anyway when the proper documents had to be submitted. D'oh!

There was one question I liked that Monsignor asked, though I can't remember exactly what it was. It may have been the one where he asked if there was anything mentally or physically wrong with us that might create problems in the marriage. I told him we actually had had a conversation about this in the past. Monsignor Hardiman has been the pastor for many years so he knows my family. He didn't realize my mom is deaf and I told him it's genetic (I am hard of hearing) and that there is probably a 50% chance our children will go through some sort of hearing loss. This does not bother Jonathan and we told Monsignor that. It's also a testament to how amazing my mom is, that she has been deaf since a young age but can speak very well and communicate with minimal problems as long as she's face to face with you. You'll never, ever hear her complain either. God bless her.

Another thing I appreciated, was that after I conveyed my fear of not being able to repeat the vows from potential lack of understanding of what he is saying, he said not to worry. I could just read from a paper. Awesome!

We wrapped up the meeting and left with all this:

Church regulations, pre-cana information booklet, Testimonial letters of freedom to marry that we have get signed, NFP...they mean business!

I am actually looking forward to pre-cana. We decided to do it the next available date, which just so happens to take place at Saint Sebastian's! It will be in early April, so we have plenty of time to register.