The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. (Code of Canon Law, c. 1055.1)

How do I schedule a wedding?

The first step in planning a wedding at Immaculate Conception is to contact a priest. Please call the parish office: (573) 635-6143. You may call to check available dates beforehand, but the wedding can only be scheduled after approval by a priest and should be at least six months prior to the wedding. Any Catholic being married must be confirmed.

At Immaculate Conception, the required wedding liaison will be assigned to you once your wedding date is set.

Weddings must adhere to the required social distancing requirements. Preparation requirements remain the same as outlined below. Hall rentals for receptions with limited numbers of attendees are available at this time.

Preparation for Matrimony

When a couple contacts the parish office about a possible wedding, they will speak with a priest, who will guide them through the process of preparing for marriage.

In addition to meetings with a priest or deacon, an engaged couple should participate in either an Engaged Encounter weekend or Pre-Cana classes, which are marriage preparation programs hosted by the Diocese of Jefferson City. They also will need to set up a time for a FOCCUS, a question/answer form to help the priest/deacon prepare them for marriage.

In order to be married at Immaculate Conception Church one of our trained wedding coordinators must be hired. Once you have booked the church a coordinator will be assigned to you. They will be available to guide you on ceremony preparation, music, decorations, etc. They will attend the rehearsal and, of course, the wedding, too. Their main focus is to assure that your wedding day runs smoothly as well as stays within the church guidelines for weddings. The fee for this service is $150 and must be paid to the wedding coordinator at least two week prior to the wedding.

What are the dates for Engaged Encounter weekends?

Catholic Engaged Encounter is an in-depth, private, personal, marriage preparation experience within the context of Catholic faith and values. Catholic Engaged Encounter is a weekend retreat away with other engaged couples with plenty of time alone together to dialogue honestly and intensively about their prospective lives together. It consists of a series of presentations beginning Friday evening and ending Sunday afternoon.

• The next weekend is August 7-9, 2020. The Engaged Encounter coordinators for our diocese are Deacon Burdett & Joyce Wilson. The registration form, as well as Engaged Encounter weekend information, is available on our diocesan website, Marriage Preparation page of the Diocese website.

What is Pre-Cana?

Pre-Cana is one component of the marriage preparation option available to couples considering marriage within the Catholic Church. The conference itself consists of presentations by couples and individuals on topics that are of a practical as well as a spiritual nature. For dates and more information, visit Pre-Cana for the Diocese of Jefferson City or email jcprecana@gmail.com.