[Magdalen] Wedding Advice

[Roger Stokes]

On 04/09/2015 20:25, Rick Mashburn wrote:
> Jo, you are correct. The newly approved sacrament of marriage isn't
> available until Advent. I'm not sure how that is going to be addressed but
> for now The Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant is the only liturgy approved
> for use in the Dio. of West Texas.

I see a clear distiction between the sacrament of marriage, which gives 
legal and sacramental effect to the relationship, and blessing of a 
lifelong covenant, which already exists in your case. Personally I would 
not have asked the bishop for permission to call it a service of 
blessing after a civil marriage on the basis that it is generally easier 
to apologise than to ask permission which is likely to be refused.  That 
is even more pertinent here as the situation will have changed a couple 
of weeks after the event. Marriage, after all, is intended to be a 
lifelong covenantal relationship.

The wording within the service could be what you and the priest agree 
as, I assume, that is not being submitted to the bishop and the changes 
in terminology would be relatively minor and reflect the fact that you 
are married and not in a previously (officiallu) unrecoignized relationship.

Roger