church requirements

Part of the requirements for a church wedding is the baptismal certificate and confirmation certificate indicating "for marriage purposes only". For Manila Cathedral, this has to be submitted 6 months before the wedding day. So we were asked to submit it by end of May or first week of June. I was baptized in our parish so it wasn't hard to get a baptismal certificate. It costs around 50 I think.

For the confirmation, good thing one of my high school friends got married last April and we were both baptized in our school. We both weren't able to get our confirmation certificate back then so we don't have proof that we were confirmed. But my friend said that I can get my certificate even if I don't show them the old certificate, they just need my name and what year I was confirmed. So I went to St. Anthony in Singalong, Manila (St. Scho forwards all confirmation certificates to this parish) to get my certificate. I went in the office, gave my name and year that I was confirmed..after 10mins..voila!! I have my certificate..and it only costs 30!

And now it's Louie's turn. While I went inside St. Anthony, Louie waited in the car. Then we went to get his confirmation certificate. I called San Beda a day before and they said that all confirmation certificates of Bedans are being forwarded to St. Jude. So we went straight to St. Jude. Since Louie does not remember what year he was confirmed (he said approximately 1995 or 1996) we were asked to find his name from a list of students. So we browsed the list.. 1995..1996..no sign of his name..1994..1997..1998..1999...2000..wait! I saw a Leyte (Louie's surname)..unfortunately, it was his brother. We checked..and checked..and checked. Still no sign. So we asked the office if this is the only list. Yes it was. One of the ladies inside the office said that it could have been forwarded to San Miguel or San Beda might have not forwarded it to them at all. We looked for the names of his batchmates, and some names were missing. So we thought of going to San Miguel to ask.

We asked the lady inside the office of San Miguel if she can check if Louie's name is in their list. Since it was 1995 or 1996, she said she had to dig up their files and there was no one there to help her. She asked us to leave the details and then just call back.


Oh well..so no luck for Louie's confirmation..it was just 11:15 there's still time to get his baptismal certificate..since it was just in Sacred Heart in Sta. Mesa..11:30 we reach the church. Lunch break was 12nn..so we are in luck. We rush to the office....and then...it was locked!! I look through the window and there are people inside the office! I looked at my watch it was still 11:40..I knocked..and knocked..and knocked. Until Louie gave up and said we just have to get it another time.

The following week, we called San Miguel to ask if she found it. And guess what?? She said that all confirmation certificates of Bedans are forwarded to St. Jude!!
So the following friday, Louie got his baptismal certificate and passed by the Abbey to ask about his confirmation certificate. They said that they will look for his name and just issue the certificate themselves and just text Louie when they find it. Good job!! So we just have to wait.. and so we waited..and waited. Meanwhile, the Cathedral is asking for his confirmation certificate. So we had to ask them to give us more time.

When we called the Abbey, the certificate is ready for pick-up. So we rush to get the certificate last friday..only to find out there was still no signature! Father Bede is out at that time and is to return at 5pm..and it was just 10am!! So we said we will just get it tomorrow. Saturday morning we asked if the certificate is ready..and thank God it was!!

So after all the hard work, we got Louie's confirmation certificate and submitted it right away. Thank God we're one step closer to our big day!