MRO Guidelines for Campus Ministers

MRO Guidelines for Campus Ministers

 

General Procedures for Use of MRO

  • Marianist Center is responsible for keeping all sacramental records. Sacramental notifications from other parishes should be forwarded to Special Ministries (Bro. Dennis)
  • Scheduling requests should be several days in advance. When requesting a schedule, please include time for set-up and clean-up.
  • Availability of MRO can be easily found on the calendar at Chaminade MRO Calendar or at the Marianist Center webpage MRO Calendar.
  • If calls for marriages or funerals come to Special Ministries, they will be referred to the respective campus ministry departments at Saint Louis and Chaminade.
  • The respective institutions responsible must arrange for sacristans for weddings or funerals.
    • Sacristans receive a $200 stipend from the Marianist Center for weddings (including the rehearsal)
    • Sacristans receive a $100 stipend from the Marianist Center for funerals
  • Faculty or staff person from the respective institution must be present for any student religious services in MRO. This includes preparation and practices for events such as White Sunday.
  • Reservations of the Oratory for weddings or funerals do not include the patio area.
  • Provisions are to be made for training in the use of the sound system
  • The furniture in the sanctuary is not to be moved.
  • During ceremonies, all doors in the Oratory should be unlocked and not blocked by items such as backpacks or chairs.
  • MRO classroom (downstairs) may be reserved. It has its own calendar on the webpage.  However, since there is no cleaning service for that room, the institution reserving it is responsible for cleaning it.
  • Diocesan policies are followed for the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.

 

Wedding Policies

(This is an incomplete summary of some of the wedding policies for MRO.  The diocese has an extensive description of wedding policies on their webpage.  They also have a list of what needs to be done for out of state weddings)

 

  • If a call comes to your Campus Ministry Office for a wedding, please inquire as to their relationship to the institution and if they want a Catholic wedding. If there is not a relationship to the institution and/or if they’re not really interested in a Catholic wedding, please tell them that the diocese does not allow us to have a wedding here.
  • If, however, they qualify, then ask the following questions:
  • If applicable, information concerning any previous marriages
  • Where they live (If they do not live in Hawaii, they will need to go to the Diocese of Honolulu web page for details concerning out of state persons getting married in Hawaii.)
  • Name and location of their parish
  • Whether or not they have contacted a priest or deacon to preside at the ceremony
  • What dates they are considering (Please note that the diocese suggests a 12-month preparation program although, if that is not possible, 6 months minimum is expected
  • If the preliminary answers are sufficient, more specific issues can be addressed.
    • If they have not contacted a priest or deacon, check with our on-campus priests to determine if they would be willing to be contacted.
    • If it is not a campus priest, we need to know who it is. The priest or deacon needs to provide all of the necessary paperwork and follow diocesan policies.
    • Please refer to the online calendars for MRO to look at possible dates. However, a date cannot be set at this point in the process.
    • The diocese requires that the Prenuptial Investigation under oath is required before a date can be reserved for a wedding.
    • Once it is certain that the couple may be married in the Catholic Church, the date, in consultation with the presiding priest or deacon, for the rehearsal and the ceremony may be selected.
    • In order to calendar the rehearsal and the ceremony, please have the couple fill out the MRO request form found at marianisthawaii.com. This document must, along with a check made out to “Marianist Center of Hawaiʻi for the suggested $750 non-refundable donation, then be mailed or delivered to:
      • Dennis Schmitz, SM
      • Marianist Center of Hawaiʻi
      • 3140 Waialae Ave.
      • Honolulu, HI 96816

(Please note: this donation does not include what they may or may not wish to give to the priest or deacon.  Also note that no one will be turned away from getting married based on the ability to pay the reservation donation)

  • Nevertheless, prior to the ceremony, documentation attesting to fulfillment of diocesan marriage requirements must be complete.This includes proof of attendance at an Engaged Encounter and so forth.
  • Weddings are not usually scheduled during Advent and Lent.
  • The wedding party may, if specifically requested, reserve the downstairs classroom if it is available. However, they need to know that there are no curtains to cover the large windows.  In addition, they are responsible to clean that space immediately after use.
  • Additional miscellaneous guidelines:
    • The priest or deacon along with the sacristan are in charge of the rehearsal and the ceremony
    • Other than a few chairs and kneelers for the bride and groom, furniture may not be moved
    • Photographers may not be in the sanctuary area and must not disrupt the ceremony
    • No rice, butterflies etc. may be used inside or outside of the Oratory
    • Moderate use of flowers is permitted but the Oratory must be returned to its original condition at the end of the ceremony.
    • During liturgical seasons such as Christmas and Easter the decorations in the Oratory may not be moved or altered.
    • Bridal party is responsible to clean up any flower petals that may have been strewn.
    • The Oratory does not provide music for the ceremony. A piano, however, is available.  Also, the choir director at Mystical Rose, Mr. Jim Muneno, may be contacted for requests for liturgical music.  He may be contacted by email at: jimuneno@gmail.comor by phone at 808-679-2400.  In addition, his musical group, Touch of Grace, may be seen on Facebook at :https://www.facebook.com/TouchofGraceHawaii/

 

 

Funeral Policies

 

  • Funerals may be held in MRO for Catholics associated with the institutions and the Sunday worshipping community.
  • Either an actual funeral or a prayer service for non-Catholics is considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Reservations for memorial masses are requested through the respective Campus Ministry offices.
  • The Campus Ministry offices of the respective institutions secure the priest for the funerals.
  • Ordinarily, an MRO Reservation Request Form is filled out and sent to Special Ministries. This document, along with a check made out to “Marianist Center of Hawaiʻi for the suggested $300 non-refundable donation, is then mailed or delivered to:
    • Dennis Schmitz, SM
    • Marianist Center of Hawaiʻi
    • 3140 Waialae Ave.
    • Honolulu, HI 96816

(Please note: this donation does not include what they may or may not wish to give to the priest or deacon.  Also note that no one will be turned away from having a funeral at MRO based on the ability to pay the reservation donation)

  • The Oratory does not provide music for the ceremony. A piano, however, is available.  Also, the choir director at Mystical Rose, Mr. Jim Muneno, may be contacted for requests for liturgical music.  He may be contacted by email at: jimuneno@gmail.comor by phone at 808-679-2400.  In addition, his musical group, Touch of Grace, may be seen on Facebook at :https://www.facebook.com/TouchofGraceHawaii/