The Diocese of Madison rejoiced in the anniversaries of many couples on August 14.
St. Francis Xavier Church in Cross Plains was packed with couples who were celebrating 50, 55, 60, and beyond years of marriage this year.
Several newly-married couples in the diocese also attended, to soak in the advice and joy of those couples being honored and to receive a blessing from Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.
Fidelity and witness
Bishop Hying celebrated the Mass and delivered the homily, in which he thanked these married couples for their fidelity and witness.
He said, “celebrating this Mass every year is one of my favorite things to do. Because it gives all of us the opportunity to gather together and to praise and thank God for the gift of marriage and family . . . Today we pause and mark the milestone of the wonder of what God has done in you, and for you, and with you.”
Parts of the Mass were said in Spanish, to welcome those Hispanic couples in the diocese who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaries.
Several area priests attended, either to celebrate their parishioners or their own parents, such as: Fr. Savio Yerasani, Fr. Bart Timmerman, and Fr. Michael Johnson.
The bishop, commenting on the priests’ presence and their vocations, pointed out that “we have priests because we had families.”
A joyous celebration
The event was a joyous celebration that concluded with a cake reception, during which many couples took a photo with Bishop Hying.
There were so many couples to congratulate – many of them married 60 or more years, several of them married over 70 years.
All told, the couples registered were celebrating more than 4,000 years of marriage.
That’s a wonderful testament to God’s grace and human love.
Several couples offered words of encouragement and advice to younger couples.
In fact, the Marriage and Family Office of the diocese compiled a keepsake booklet containing the couples’ stories and lessons.
Cathy and Larry McNally simply advised, “Hang in there. Have patience.” They must have learned that by experience — they had two sets of twins so early in their marriage they had five kids under six years old.
Now members of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison and expecting their first great-grandbaby, they came to celebrate 62 years of marriage.
Mary Pat Braun, a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison who has been married for 50 years, advised young couples, “Learn the art of compromise.” Her husband Jim agreed, “Oh yeah,” but his own advice was more direct: “Stay together.”
That’s definitely the most fundamental necessity of a marriage, and the obvious love and gratitude of the couples here is proof that it leads to happiness.