By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

In the first of two celebrations to unfold this month, the Sacrament of Catholic marriage was honored Oct. 11 at the annual Anniversary Blessing Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

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There, as bright sunshine illuminated the stained glass windows of the nave and heavenly music from the Diocesan Festival Choir filled the air, 73 married couples from Burlington and Mercer counties, marking 1, 25 or 50 and more years as husband and wife, were blessed by Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M.

In the company of their families, fellow parishioners and friends, the couples renewed their vows and had their marriages blessed by the Bishop who celebrated the Mass and in a moving homily, offered encouragement and pastoral support as he reflected on the importance of marriage in society today.

In his homily, Bishop O'Connell, who also presided over the second Mass Oct. 25 in St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Freehold Township, for couples in Monmouth and Ocean counties, put the commitment of those gathered with him into context with a belief system that had stood the test of more than two millenniums.

Beginning in the present day, he said, “on TV, we see people getting married in all sorts of places, on beaches or cruise ships, jumping out of airplanes or even having their wedding ceremony in Las Vegas with 'Elvis' himself as the minister.”

He praised the brides and grooms before him for understanding their marriage as a Sacrament, “one of those seven outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace. You understood your marriage as something not just between the two of you, but between the two of you and God. That is why we say the Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant; it is a covenant between the two of you and God.”

That ancient description calls to mind, he said, “the words of St. John Chrysostom, that famous theologian of the early Church, 'Let those who take spouses now, do as they did in Cana in Galilee. Let them have Christ in their midst.' St. John Chrysostom died in 407 – and the Church has embraced his encouragement ever since.”

“You have chosen to be married in the sight of this generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ,” said the Bishop. “And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife give themselves to each other.”

Moving some in the cathedral to tears, he continued, “as spiritual life grows as love finds its center beyond ourselves: in God. Faithful and committed relationships offer a doorway into the mystery of spiritual life through which we discover this: the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed.”

“In marriage, we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life and to belong to one another not as a 'possession' but as a possibility for true, deep love,” Bishop O'Connell said.

After the Bishop's homily, he asked all milestone couples to stand, turn toward each other and join hands as they renewed their marriage vows. As he blessed their rings, the bishop as that the Lord “bless and consecrate these couples in their love for each other. May their rings continue to be a symbol of their true faith in each other and always remind them of their love.”

As the Liturgy of the Eucharist unfolded, milestone couples participated in the Presentation of the Gifts and during the concluding rites, each milestone group was called separately by Peg Hensler, associate director of the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, to stand for the Bishop's blessing.

Then, they reached out to many of the priests stationed around the cathedral for individual blessings, lingering with family and friends in the nave before heading downstairs to a reception in the undercroft. They enjoyed sharing reflections on the memorable occasion and advice for couples contemplating marriage.

Earle and Barbara Hughes, of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, spoke of how meaningful it was to hear such assurances from the spiritual leader of the diocese in this “51-and-a-half” year of their marriage.

The couple, who offered the first reading of the liturgy, said they had marked their 25th anniversary year in the same way. Saying they felt “blessed and honored” to be present, they spoke of the blessings they've received throughout the decades.

“We've experienced so much in our lives,” said Barbara Hughes. Those blessings include five children between the ages of 50 and 35 and foster children as well. Their advice to those about to follow in their footsteps: walk together in faith.

“That's what brought us here today,” he said. “We wouldn't have made it without faith. It helped us get us where we are today.”

Through everything, they both said, the Church has been at the center of life. “It's all about faith,” she said. “That's what kept us going, stretched us til we squeaked pushed us to the limits and saw us through.”

Their fellow parishioners, Nick and Jean Giovine, offered similar sentiments.
“There have been so many trials and tribulations,” she said, “if you didn't have faith, how would you survive.”

“Without faith,” he said, “you wouldn't have patience.”

They see the Church as sending out strong messages in support of marriage by way of the recent visit of Pope Francis to the World Meeting of Families and the Synod of Bishops underway in Rome. The Church, they agreed is going in the right direction.

Married 25 years, Dave and Mercedes Rizzo of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton, came as a family to the Anniversary Blessing, bringing their four grown children – Brendan, Collin, Danielle and Shannon to the Mass.

The couple expressed real joy in celebrating with so many long-married couples. “It gave us something to look up to,” said Dave Rizzo. They shared how important faith has been from the very beginning in their courtship and their marriage as they nurtured their long-term commitment to each other.

By way of example, Mercedes Rizzo reached back to their pre-Cana preparations. “In pre-Cana, they presented scenarios that we might encounter including a child with a disability. We didn't think it would be us,” she said, noting that Danielle has autisim.

“It turned out to be prophetic,” said her husband, who said in a marriage built upon faith, the couple has a “better chance of weathering storms.”

Speaking of those who came to the Mass, he referred back to the homily in which Bishop O'Connell spoke of marriage as a reflection of the covenant between God and mankind. “We see ourselves as couples with the love of God in common. It's a binding force.”

Debbie Macalad and Jason Burkett celebrated their first anniversary by attending anniversary blessing along with many family members. They were happy to talk about the role faith plays in their marriage. Both acknowledged that their deep love and commitment to their faith created a bond that brought them to a sacramental wedding.

“It's what we both have in common, it's what unites us,” she said.

His advice to newlyweds like themselves: “No matter what, stick with it!”