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St. Joseph Catholic Church

1875 S C R 700 W
North Vernon, IN 47265

Rev. Jonathan P. Meyer, Administrator

Office Hours:

Monday Office closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:30 AM till 12:30 PM

St. Joseph Rectory Phone: 812-346-4783
Fax: 812-352-9033

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What about Unity Candles and Unity Sand.

The new Guidelines for Roman Catholic Weddings in Jennings County will read: The "unity candle" is not traditionally or authentically Catholic and is not permitted. The symbol of unity within a Catholic Marriage is seen in the exchange of vows, rings, reception of Holy Communion and the consummation of the wedding itself. This symbol, the Unity Candle, is a wedding innovation that has been in existence for about 30 years. It made its way into some Catholic parishes about 20 years ago. However, as stated above, it is not an authentic symbol of the church…even www.wikipedia.org states the following: While the use of unity candles has become wide-spread, it is prohibited in some churches. It is not part of the Catholic wedding ceremony, and many parishes do not allow its inclusion in the ceremony. While the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has not explicitly prohibited the use of the unity candle in the marriage rite, neither has it encouraged the practice. The Conference has noted that … the Rite of Marriage already has abundant symbols of unity. The Marriage Rite is very symbolic: white garments, processions, statement of intention, vows, exchange of rings, both consuming the Flesh and Blood of Jesus, Blessings etc. The more you add does not always make it better. Often- “less is more.” I would say, the issue with the Unity Candle is the fact that it is an innovation. If you go to a protestant wedding these days the new big thing is Unity Sand: there are two vases of colored sand that the bride and groom pour back-in-forth into one common vase. The mixed sand is a symbol of their unity~or something like that. In protestant circles~Unity Candles are “out” and Unity Sand is “in.” So, will Unity Sand become the NEW FAD in some Catholic Parishes…and then in 20 years will it be mixing oil and water…who knows? Are they nice symbols? YES! Is it bad? NO! But when is enough, enough! How many symbols are required for a wedding to be “memorable?” Personally I have found, as a priest, that the Unity Candle brings drama. One spouse wants it; the other does not. The bride does not want it, but the mother of the bride does. The Groom has 2 moms- so who lights the 1st candle? The Bride has 3 moms so who lights the 2nd candle. The candles blow out mid ceremony- what does that mean? The POWER of Vows, Rings and reception of the Flesh and Blood of Jesus is pretty amazing. Putting our emphasis on these authorized symbols is very important. REMINDER ~ Everything you ever wanted to know about getting married in the Catholic Church- Aug 8-9 Sun, Aug 8 - 6:30PM St. Joe & Mon, Aug 9 – 7:30PM St. Mary’s All unmarried youth/young adults 13 years of age and up are invited to attend.