Above: A couple who wished to get married outside selected this sacred space at Spirit of Hope Parish in Syracuse. Photo submitted
Getting married in a sacred space
By Eileen Jevis
Staff writer
A Catholic wedding is a sacred sacrament through which a couple seeks the Lord’s blessing and grace as they enter into a lifelong union. Canon Law 1118.2 states that for two Catholics preparing for marriage, the wedding is to be held in a place of worship to be valid in the eyes of the Church. The law states, however, that the bishop may grant special dispensation for couples to exchange their vows in another suitable location.
We sat down with Bishop Douglas J. Lucia to help us understand the guidelines and get his views on the options available for those who want to receive the Sacrament of Marriage in a non-church venue. Bishop said it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that priests and bishops had to become more flexible about the restrictions that were in place. “As Pope Francis said, we have to meet people where they are,” Bishop Lucia said.
In 2020, Breanna and Dennis Beaudette had 150 people on their guest list and had to cancel their wedding and reception due to the pandemic. For months, they were undecided on how to proceed with the restrictions in place. “Then, two weeks before the original wedding date, COVID restrictions opened up to allow up to 50 people to gather in one place,” Breanna said. “Holy Family Church is a special place for us. It was the first church we attended as a couple. When Deacon Bob Fangio said we could do the ceremony at the shrine, we were thrilled.” Breanna said their limited guests could socially distance in a safer environment outside. “Dc. Bob did a fantastic job and provided great support along the way.” The significance of getting married at the shrine made them feel like it was meant to be. The couple continues to visit the shrine, often with their children in tow. “We just love being in the space — to pray and to reminisce,” Breanna said.
In his pastoral letter of Feb. 18, 2026, Bishop Lucia said he prays that as couples prepare for marriage, it will be a moment of catechesis. “And in the catechesis, I really would want couples to be married in the church if at all possible. But I’m also aware of the circumstances. There are many more interfaith marriages today, and we have to be sensitive to both parties. There are also practicalities to be considered — aging parents and guests who find accessibility to a church building difficult, etc. I understand that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, and I will grant permission when needed to celebrate outside a church building.
“Canon Law is a positive law in the sense that it’s meant to help people know their rights within the Church, Bishop explained. “And with rights comes responsibility. One of those responsibilities is being married in the Church as the Church prescribes it, and in the presence of a priest or deacon and two witnesses,” he said.
Bishop said that oftentimes couples ask to get married outside but want the ritual and the tradition of a Catholic ceremony. He confirmed that there are appropriate outdoor locations for a wedding ceremony and the celebration of Mass. The shrine at Holy Family Church and Our Lady of Hope Church in Syracuse, the shrine at St. Joseph’s Church in Endicott, the chapel at Lourdes Camp on Skaneateles Lake, and the summer chapel at St Mary’s Our Lady of the Snows in Otter Lake, are examples of sacred spaces to consider. The use of these types of sacred spaces, however, still requires the bishop’s formal permission, facilitated by your parish priest or deacon.
In his letter, Bishop Lucia introduced the newly released Framework for Marriage Preparation and Accompaniment. He shared a quote from Pope Francis that gives further perspective to the new initiative in the diocese. “Today, more than ever, this preparation is presented as a true and proper occasion for the evangelization of adults, and, often, of the so-called distant ones. There are, indeed, numerous young people for whom the approach of a wedding is an opportunity to encounter once again, the faith that has long been relegated to the margins of their lives …” (Address on the Inauguration of the Judicial Year of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, 21 January 2017).
“I’m always conscious that there may be a moment [of evangelization] lost if there isn’t a bit of flexibility,” Bishop shared. “Again, it goes back to what Pope Francis said about accompanying others in their life journey — we listen, we dialogue, and we stand before them with an open mind.”
Bishop Lucia encourages couples to contact their parish priest, deacon, or lay minister to talk about marriage preparation. “If you haven’t been to church in a while,” he said, ”go to the church near where you live or go back to the church where you were baptized. Introduce yourself. Let them know who you are. That’s how it all begins.”
