Can I Get A Witness?

Recently, Mr. Bruschetta and I met with our celebrant, Father David, to continue preparing for our ceremony -- and, more specifically, our marriage.

He'd asked us to come with the names and phone numbers of two "witnesses" each, family or friends who we'd be calling together to conduct a brief "interview" about us. We were uncertain what to expect, but selected four family members -- Daddy and Sister Bruschetta, and FMIL and FBIL Bruschetta -- who agreed to converse with Father David.

After catching up, we started our phone calls. Mr. Bruschetta and I dialed our family members, and then passed the phone to Father David, who walked them through a series of questions. (Let me clarify: These weren't questions Father David had prepared himself. They were part of the materials we needed to complete in order to marry in the St. Thomas of Villanova parish.) All the queries were pretty serious in nature, and dealt with our preparedness to marry. At the end of the "interview" -- which really only did last for about five minutes each! -- Father David asked each person if he/she swore what he/she said was the truth, since the yes/no answers would, at the conclusion of the call, constitute a legal document.

Once the four family interviews were complete, Father David spoke individually (and in private) with me, and then with Mr. Bruschetta. He led each of us through a similar series of questions, which were (in my opinion) unnecessarily antiquated and awkward -- for example, one asked if there were any physical challenges that would inhibit our ability to have a harmonious marriage. Huh? Father David clarified: Do either of us have fertility issues?

While the time we had with Father David was enjoyable, I was somewhat taken aback by the questions he had to ask, which I found both sterile and obtrusive. Were you surprised by some preparatory aspect of your religious ceremony?