Comillas Espiritualidad

Guidelines for the use of the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Peter Claver and other places of worship of the University for the Celebration of Weddings.

The sacraments are ordered to the sanctification of men, to the edification of the Body of Christ and, ultimately, to the worship of God; but, as signs, they also have a pedagogical purpose. They not only presuppose faith, but at the same time nourish it, strengthen it and express it by means of words and things; for this reason they are called sacraments of "faith". They certainly confer grace, but their celebration also perfectly prepares the faithful to receive the same grace fruitfully, to worship God and to practise charity.

(Sacrosantum Concilium, Second Vatican Council)

The University offers its students, alumni and, in general, all members of the University community, the possibility of celebrating the sacrament of marriage in the Church of the Inmaculada and San Pedro Claver, located at C/ Santa Cruz de Marcenado, 22-24 or in other places of worship of the University, such as the chapels located in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), the Higher Technical School of Engineering, ICAI, and the Cantoblanco campus.

The use of the Church and other places of worship of the University is subject to certain rules to ensure the proper functioning, care of the celebration and conservation of the temples. Thus, on 27 June 2022, the Vice-Rectorate for Institutional Relations and General Secretary's Office issued a Protocol for the temporary use of Comillas Pontifical University spaces by external personnel, with the aim of organising the cession of its facilities (classrooms, rooms, collaborative spaces, places of worship), in exchange for a total or partial economic consideration, and also in the event that the rental of spaces is exempt from consideration, to individuals or public and private entities.

The guidelines for the cession of the University's places of worship in the aforementioned Protocol are limited to activities or events of a non-religious nature, and it is therefore appropriate to approve these guidelines as a complement to the Protocol for organising the use of the Church of the Inmaculada and San Pedro Claver and other places of worship of the Comillas Pontifical University for weddings:

Applications for the use of the Church or other places of worship for the exclusively religious purposes set out in these Guidelines can be made using the application form for the celebration of weddings . 

Without prejudice to the necessary completion of the application form, interested parties may contact the sacristy via the following email address espiritualidad@comillas.edu, or telephone: +34 91 542 2800 - Ext. 54718 in the event of any doubts or questions they may have, in addition to the indications set out below.

The time set for the start and duration of the ceremony must be scrupulously respected. Failure to keep to this timetable may mean that the ceremony may have to be shortened, especially when there is another celebration to follow or when the University is close to closing time.

The celebration or concelebration of the ceremony by a priest who is not a member of the University faculty or the Society of Jesus shall be communicated at the time the request is made. The priest or priests who are to celebrate the ceremony, whether they belong to the University or to the Society of Jesus, or are not, must come sufficiently in advance of the beginning of the ceremony to receive the appropriate instructions and, if necessary, to know the location.

The bride and groom may bring a photographer or photographers of their choice, but in a suitable number so as not to interfere with or disrupt the ceremony and to be properly dressed, bearing in mind that they are in a sacred place.

Musicians or choir may also be brought and, depending on the number of members, will be placed in the chancel or choir loft of the church. The use of the organ has specific restrictions which should be consulted in the sacristy. The music and choirs to be performed must be appropriate to the religious character of the ceremony.

Both photographers and musicians, or at least one of their leaders, must be present in the sacristy sufficiently in advance of the start of the corresponding ceremony to be familiar with the venue and to receive any appropriate instructions.

Carpets and/or floral ornaments will normally be installed in the Presbytery and will be appropriate to the nature of the ceremony, and the sacristy can be consulted about their characteristics and suitable installation. Exceptionally, the University will allow other church decorations that do not cause material or aesthetic damage.

It is important to maintain the cleanliness of the space, avoiding placing on the floor elements or products that may cause stains or deterioration or that may prevent another celebration from taking place immediately afterwards. The church is received clean and this cleanliness must be maintained.

It is important to remember that neither the Church nor the other places of worship of the University have appropriate rooms or facilities for dressing for the ceremony or for other needs such as make-up or hair styling, except for the sacristy for the strict use of the priest or priests celebrating.

The University and its places of worship are adapted for the accessibility of people with disabilities, which can be consulted through the sacristy at the following e-mail address: espiritualidad@comillas.edu.

No later than one month before the wedding, the bride and groom must present to the parish of San Marcos (C/ San Leonardo, 10, 28015 Madrid), the marriage authorisation issued by the Vicariate, enclosing the names and surnames of the two necessary witnesses, who may be the godparents or other persons.

If you wish to make a donation to collaborate with the maintenance of the place of worship, please consult the procedure through the sacristy at the following e-mail address: espiritualidad@comillas.edu, and the University will provide you with the corresponding donation certificate.