MADISON — What advice would a couple married for 50 years give to couples getting married today?
“Always communicate with one another and make major decisions together. After God, put spouse and family first. Don’t fear compromise. Laugh a lot. Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. Pray a lot. Work hard, especially at making your marriage work,” says Bernice L. (Harmon) Smith.
Hers was one of the messages shared by couples in a booklet prepared for the Diocese of Madison’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration held on August 18 at the Bishop O’Connor Center.
Each year, Bishop Robert C. Morlino celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving for all married couples in the diocese that are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. It is a special time to publicly recognize the Sacrament of Matrimony lived out faithfully.
At the Mass, Bishop Morlino congratulated the couples and talked about the importance of marriage (see his column on Page 3 for his reflections). The bishop presented each couple with a certificate recognizing their marriage commitment.
The event booklet was designed, compiled, and edited by Bridget Butler. Andy Galvin, marriage and family coordinator for the Diocese of Madison, said this first commemorative booklet included responses to a questionnaire from 43 of the couples.
Read Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s comments on the Wedding Anniversary celebration in his column this week.
They shared their wisdom in the booklet, which also included wedding pictures and current pictures of the couples.
Some statistics about the couples who responded:
• The average marrying age was 21 years for women and 23 years for men.
• The average number of children per couple is four.
• The average number of grandchildren per couple is seven.
The couples emphasized the importance of faith and family as typified by this golden jubilarian, “ALWAYS remember no matter how difficult the times, family is most important. Pressures and problems will work themselves out with the help of prayer, guidance, and TRUE LOVE,” said Michael Simon.