We are often asked: are Catholic nuns allowed to become ordained? Our answer is yes. And no. We’ll start with the “no.” Current canon law and the church’s catechism directs that “only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination” to serve as a priest — and only male priests can lead a parish of Catholic Christians, celebrate Mass, and bring new members into the church through Baptism. However, while they are not permitted to celebrate Mass, nuns may become ordained in compliance with state law, which does not restrict sisters from performing marriage ceremonies as an Officiant. Ordination through First Nation Ministry complies with all state laws, and is respectful…
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Performing A Marriage Ceremony At Burning Man?
How many people do you know that got married at Burning Man? It seems almost de rigueur these days that if you’re spending time on the playa, you might as well have your wedding on the playa. The single most important thing to keep in mind if you are planning to get married during Burning Man is that you must obtain your marriage license in advance — don’t wait until the very last minute! Your marriage license must be obtained in Nevada. You cannot bring an out-of-state marriage license into Nevada — your California, Arizona or Oregon marriage license is not valid in the Silver State. If you are coming…
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Is A Religious Degree Also Considered “Ordination”?
Recently, D. asked us: I have finished all but two classes in my ordination tract because of needing to perform ceremonies. My degree is my license, right? Keep in mind that, unless it is specifically designated as such, a degree does not generally convey ordination on the degree holder. Ordination, per se, is an action taken by a church board to designate certain persons as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. (A person’s license as a minister is also generally granted as part of the ordination process, not as part of the educational or training path.) The degree recognizes that you’ve attained a certain specific level of training and…
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How To Become A Wedding Officiant
Wondering how to get ordained to perform marriage ceremonies? It's actually faster and easier than you think! You can complete the ordination process online for free in most cases...
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Advanced Training As A Celebrant For All Of Life’s Events
While most states have little or no educational or training requirements for those performing ceremonies, First Nation strongly encourages its clergy members seeking either basic or advanced training to consider the programs offered by the Celebrant Foundation and Institute. If you are pursuing a career as a Celebrant, or if you are considering a career as a ceremonial minister, the courses offered by CF&I provide the perfect fundamental education in all aspects of this vital work. Course training covers a wide spectrum of ceremonial duties, including weddings, funerals, vow renewal, baby welcoming, and coming-of-age celebrations, among others, toward certification as a Life-Cycle Celebrant™. The Celebrant Institute’s faculty is highly regarded, with extensive real-world experience. (Several…
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Sage Advice For The First-Time Wedding Officiant
We received an inquiry this week from a minister who was getting ready to perform her very first marriage ceremony this coming weekend. Getting asked to perform a wedding for the first time progresses very quickly from “Sure, I’ll do it!” to “Yipes, what do I actually do?” First Things First Here is the million-dollar question: are you ordained to perform wedding ceremonies? If you don’t know what ordination is, I’ll give you a quick explanation. Ordination is the process through which you receive legal authorization to perform marriage ceremonies. Every state in the United States requires you to have legal authorization, without exception, before you perform a wedding. You…
