When considering your wedding Mass or Service, the costs associated with the church service should always be your last concern.  In today’s world, the costs of receptions, flowers and photography far exceed anything associated with a church’s received donation for a wedding Mass or Service. In general, church costs amount to probably 1 or 2 percent of your total cost for the wedding day.

We are hesitant to publish online the normal donation for weddings occurring at Saint Patrick’s.  We want to remind all readers that this is a regular parish church, and not a wedding venue.  Wedding Masses and Services are scheduled so as not to conflict with parish Masses and parish functions. In addition, all donations received go directly into the costs associated with the maintenance of the structure and other ongoing monthly costs.  The Pastor is not paid by the church and does not receive anything for his services to the church and the People of God, or for officiating at a Catholic wedding.

We recently discovered a web site detailing the costs associated with being married at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  This site details, among other things, all costs associated with the wedding itself (which are quite extensive).  If you wish to review this information, which we have placed online in PDF format, click here: Vatican Weddings.

Our thought is this: if the Vatican can publish its rates for the use of the best known church in all Catholicism, then we certainly can as well.

The following are scheduled donations which are customary for weddings occurring at Saint Patrick Catholic Church:  $500.00 for the church, $200.00 for our professional organist and, if required, $150.00 for a soloist for the Mass or Service. There are no other costs associated with weddings. 

These scheduled donations are usual and customary for our church weddings.  In the case of extreme hardship, no one will be denied this sacrament, or any other sacrament, for an inability to make an expected donation.  In addition, these costs are substantially reduced for parishioners of the parish who decide to be married here.

Considering Alternatives?

For those presently divorced who wish to enter into a subsequent Catholic marriage, there are no Catholic alternatives in the State of Rhode Island, other than a civil ceremony or Protestant service of some sort.

The costs associated with weddings occurring at Saint Patrick’s are all inclusive of: use of the church (air conditioned during the summer heat) with seating for approximately 100. Also included are the wedding rehearsal, liability insurance, freedom as to music selection, freedom as to desired attire, completion of a civil license and filing with the appropriate authorities on your behalf, and complete photographic freedom. Since we do not require “pre-Cana” classes, you save costs associated with this as well. We do not require the securing of an annulment of a previous Catholic marriage. This time-consuming, expensive and personally invasive process, which offers no guarantee whatever of success, is often referred to as “Catholic divorce.” Saving the expenses associated with this process alone can usually offset the costs associated with a marriage at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church.

Many people chose non-religious venues located around the state and have to pay for the costs of the rental of the venue, liability insurance for the day and above that the costs of a minister or judge to officiate at the wedding itself.  Seen separately, these can cost couples easily $2,000 or so, and after spending this huge sum, you still would not have achieved a Catholic Wedding in a Catholic Church, which is so important to the foundation of a family within the Catholic tradition.

Saint Patrick’s is here to assist you with your planning for a Catholic Wedding day you will never forget: an opportunity to establish your wedding before God, Christ and His Church in a comfortable and forgiving setting, in which all of your wedding guests who have been baptized will be welcome to receive Communion and share in the joy of your new Catholic Wedding.

We remind all readers that Saint Patrick Catholic Church is a National Catholic parish and not a Roman Catholic parish. Our founding by a Roman Catholic bishop in Brazil has led to the unquestioned recognition of the validity of all celebrated Sacraments by the Vatican.