The Sept. 12 wedding uniting Krystal Gil and Jack Scanlon in the Spanish courtyard of St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo was not what either had in mind the day they got engaged.
Processing down the aisle, Krystal beamed like any bride on her wedding day would, except a mask concealed her smile. Those in the small, socially distanced crowd smiling back at her had face coverings on, too, an all-too-familiar scene at weddings across the county this year since coronavirus (COVID-19)-related restrictions began to be lifted for public gatherings.
Countless weddings across the world were postponed, altered, or altogether canceled due to the pandemic. But for Catholic couples like the Scanlons, the wedding day is more than a well-planned family celebration — it’s a sacrament, the beginning of a bond created by God.
Soon after their engagement last July, Krystal and Jack booked St. Jude the Apostle Church in Westlake Village for July 11, 2020. They were still optimistic about those plans during the first virus-related closures in March, but as shelter-in-place orders dragged on, the families’ concerns grew.
When St. Jude closed its doors to all services, the family scrambled to find another venue in order to avoid postponing the wedding date. Keeping their hopes up, they signed up for a slot at the San Gabriel Mission Church, a historic landmark for Californians and the Gil family specifically.
By then, it seemed a new plan was taking shape. That is, until, early on the morning of the scheduled wedding date, a fire erupted and left the mission in ruins.
For Krystal, one of the biggest challenges of the tumultuous planning process was the uncertainty. “Every time we met with a vendor or a church, the constant answer we got was, ‘We don’t know,’ ” she said. “It was so difficult because I don’t think anyone had a plan.”
After pursuing and scrapping several potential plans, the Gils and Scanlons finally secured a venue for Krystal and Jack’s wedding at St. Mary Magdalen’s. Although the original July 11 wedding date turned into a much later Sept. 12 ceremony, Krystal says the stress of the past several months seemed to melt away as she processed down the aisle.
“COVID wasn’t even on my mind on that day,” she said. “All I felt was joy.”
Full story at Angelus News.
Parishes need to seek practical solutions which meet both health rules and needs of the couple. Otherwise, sooner or later, they’re off to the justice of the peace.
You don’t need much for a Catholic wedding: cleric, bride and groom, two witnesses. That’s it. Anything and everything else doesn’t matter as far as the sacrament is concerned. The liturgy can take as little as fifteen minutes.
You are right about that Kevin T. Too many people have huge weddings with every one stressed out, end up in debt and fighting about it afterward and do not attend church again until a child is baptize — if they make it that far. Not a good way to start a marriage.
I probably upset some people who have large families with my comment about smaller weddings, but my husband and I have a very large extended family, too, and one of our close family members gave a party near the first of the year which ended up giving the family who gave it a virus with the mother getting pneumonia. It might have been COVID. The Governors restrictions have gotten overly strict at times, and churches should be opened, and grandparents allowed to see grandchildren, but we still need to be reasonably precautious without having to “snitch” on each other.
That is a lovely couple, though, even with the masks on, and I wish them a long and happy marriage. I am sure they had a smaller wedding and are probably better off for it.
Oh– God bless this lovely couple! Face masks will forever be a part of their treasured Wedding Photos and memories! I would shed tears over that, were I in their shoes– bless them! Well– much worse!!– I was pretty shocked, lately, over something else, very “naughty”– the announcement of the new film, “Francesco,” in which the Pope publicly supports legal, civil gay unions– despite not accepting gay “marriages” in the Church! The Pope should speak out against gay unions, gay sex acts, and gay adoptions– including non-Catholic, civil gay “marriages!” He should wisely lead the “LGBTs” to Christ! Shame on that film, for our Church!
I think they might have taken the pictures with the masks just for the fun of it. If they were far enough away from the cameraman, there should have been no need for masks. Hopefully they have other pictures without them, and I do hope they are a real man and woman, and we are not tricked here, as they look like they are.
As far as “civil unions” that would not be right as it gives credence to the bad behavior. There are other ways for single people to leave their property to whomever they choose without “civil unions”. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has come out against “civil unions”, and rightly so.
Well, a thought just came to me! Maybe for “Pandemic Weddings,” the Wedding Clothing designers could design fancy Wedding Masks that are very beautiful, for a Bride and Groom, and for the entire Wedding Party– and fancy masks, very pretty, for all the guests! Regarding the Pope– many prelates also have spoken out against his ridiculous public support for “gay civil unions” — and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is against it, of course! Ridiculous!