October 14, 2009

Annual Anniversary Mass honors long marriages

With standing room only, children and grandchildren packed the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception the afternoon of Oct. 3 to celebrate the wedding anniversaries of their parents and grandparents and to witness the renewal of their vows at the annual Anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. 

More than 250 couples came to celebrate and pray in thanksgiving for 25, 50 or 50-plus years of marriage. In his homily, Archbishop Chaput noted that the day’s lectionary readings corresponded perfectly with celebrating the gift of marriage in the Church. “Married couples, in their love, are an image of the community of God,” the prelate said. 

He urged the couples to remember daily they are a “gift to one another.” Following the homily, couples renewed their marriage vows and sealed their promises with a kiss. 

After the Mass, couples received a congratulatory gift of an engraved frame. The Anniversary Mass is organized by the Marriage and Family Life Office. It is an opportunity for the Church community as a whole to recognize the beauty, sacrifice and commitment that can be found in a marriage centered on Christ and to celebrate long marriages, said Phil Webb, director of the Marriage and Family Life Office. 

For information on next year’s Anniversary Mass, visit www.archden.org or call 303-715-3259.