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Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 2/28/2008


Question
My fiance and I are getting married in December in my hometown. Currently my parish is without a priest (due to issues with the community). I was curious if it's okay to have a reception with dance & alcohol at the church's parish hall during Advent? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer
Hi, Jared:

Hmmm... this is probably not the most cut-and-dried question and answer.  In addition, I can't figure out how you are getting married at the Parish of your hometown if it is currently without a Priest; unless you have a Priest coming in to do the ceremony from outside?
Are you doing your marriage prep right now with the Priest at the Parish you currently attend?
Any addiotnal information would be helpful; though I would suspect that you will need to abide by any guidelines that are in place for the use of the Parish Hall in your hometown.  For example, in my own parishes if there is a situation of scandal caused by a nominally Catholic relative or friend getting married unlawfully, without following or having been dispensed from canonical form, then I do not allow them to use the hall.
As for the use of some alcohol and dancing - hard to say, really.  I would probably not have as much concern with it being Advent, as potential insurance liability problems?  Perhaps the insurance prohibits the use of alcohol on the premises?
These are all things you would need to look into further from your own end.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

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Fr. Timothy Johnson

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A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.

Experience

I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001.

Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)

Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology; MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary; 2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality. BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy; BA - Liberal Arts; AA - General Studies.

Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15. Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office. I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church. Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.

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