Weddings

I am Bishop Joseph Grenier of the Celtic Christian Church. The Celtic Christian Church is an Old Catholic Celtic Rite Church with communities in Pennsylvania, and around the United States. Some of our priests and deacons work with Lutheran or Episcopal parishes, or as chaplains in hospitals and nursing homes, or as university professors, but all are pastors or deacons of small worshipping communities, or cell groups.

We have three priests here in the Poconos, in Eastern PA, and you can find others on our CLERGY PAGE. We are available to assist you while you travel to the Poconos, if you do not belong to a Faith Community already. The Celtic Christian Church practices open Communion, and you are welcome to worship with us.

for couples planning to marry, priests of the Celtic Christian Church offer wedding preparation, pre-marital counseling, and wedding planning assistance.

We will sit with you to plan your ceremony so that it will reflect YOUR love as you express it publicly within YOUR marriage vows.

Additionally, we have a working relationship with several area photographers, bakers, DJs, and resorts in this area who can assist you in planning those aspects of your wedding.

You can contact us by e-mail at: Weddings@CelticChristianChurch.org, or telephone to make an appointment to sit and plan your special day so that you will remember it.

Deacons and priests of the Celtic Christian Church respect Marriage as the act and commitment of the couple involved, and, as such, we act as an official Witness to the public exchange of vows (representing the Church and the State). As such we declare a couple married publicly. We do not impose our religious belief upon anyone, nor do we expect or demand any couple to engage in a Christian Marriage. Our Faith teaches that God is Love. Therefore, we believe that the very Love between the two people who are marrying is, in itself, the very holiness of Marriage, regardless of religious creeds or affiliations. For that reason we can and do witness non-religious weddings as well as weddings within the Christian Church. God IS Love. If Love is genuine, it is part of the life of God.

In addition to legal registration, all weddings witnessed by deacons and priests of the Celtic Christian Church are recorded in our records for future reference. We issue either secular or religious Marriage Certificates suitable for display, as requested by the couple.

Marriage is a serious and sacred relationship between two people. Yet a public marriage is also within a given society (secular &/or religious), and because we are committed to the well-being of our society and all in it, we are committed to helping those marriages which we witness to succeed. Therefore, if desired, we offer pre-marital preparation (including counseling). We also make a commitment to be available, as far as possible, to the couple after the marriage, should they desire the service of a priest or marriage counselor.

The traditional definition of a VOW is a promise made to God.

A Marriage VOW is a promise made to God to be faithful to one's spouse.

An additional explanation of a VOW is a promise made to God to do something which is BETTER than its opposite. In the case of marriage vows, this means that making the particular vows of marriage is the better thing to do, for that particular couple, than NOT making them.

This becomes very personal when you think about it. To make a vow to do something then, means it is better to do that thing, than not to do it. So, for couples marrying one another, it is the better thing for them to do before God, better for their souls, better for their personal growth, better in every way, as God wants only the best for us.

This definition applies to any vows made. Making the vow, within this definition is BETTER than living the opposite of it, for the individual involved. So, for one, a Marriage vow to God, of fidelity to another for life, is the better choice, while, for another, perhaps a vow of celibacy, or a vow to one of the virtues. What is of primary importance is that such a vow be taken because the individual believes without a doubt that doing so is God's Will, and therefore the very best thing for that person.

This is how we approach Marriage vows, and it is our intention to help those who make such vows to understand the sanctity of such a public proclamation.

The following sites are NOT connected in anyway with the Celtic Christian Church. They are listed as a convenience for our site visitors!

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Send mail to cait@ptd.net with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2007 The Celtic Christian Church Last modified: 11/20/08.

Send mail to cait@ptd.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2007 The Celtic Christian Church
Last modified: 11/20/08.