(Catholic Herald photos/Kevin Wondrash)
MADISON — It was a day of thanks and celebration as 121 married couples packed the Bishop O’Connor Center chapel. The August 10 occasion was the Mass of Thanksgiving for couples celebrating 50 years or more of marriage.
To fully illustrate the years of dedication, prayer, and devotion, there were about 7,000 combined years of marriage being celebrated.
In years past, the day was only in honor of couples celebrating 50 years of marriage, but this year it was extended to those couples in the Diocese of Madison who were married 50 years and beyond.
“Over the years, it became clear that the attending couples really appreciated the recognition of their marriages,” said Andy Galvin, marriage and family coordinator for the diocese. “By inviting more couples, we hoped to increase this community of witnesses to the beauty of marital love with the hope that others will be inspired.”
Jean and Thomas Clark, members of Blessed Trinity Parish in Lodi, attended the Mass and reception that followed. They will be married 68 years in October. Jean said it was “absolutely great” and “an honor” to celebrate their long marriage with so many other couples.
Joanna and Cletus Hying, members of the Congregation of St. Mary/St. Paul Parish in Mineral Point also attended. They recently celebrated 65 years of marriage on August 16. Most of their seven children, 20 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren were able to celebrate with them.
Joanna said it was a “wonderful feeling” to celebrate all of those years of marriage. She thanked the Lord for all he has given her and her family and remarked “time went so fast.”
Cletus said he felt “dandy” and “wonderful” and with tongue in cheek, said one of the keys to their long marriage was he’s still living yet.
Bishop welcomes couples
As Mass got underway, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison welcomed all of the couples to “World Youth Day,” which was met with laughter.
He went on to say he was “joyful” to be there to “honor marriage as a path to holiness.”
During his homily, Bishop Morlino called the celebration “really magnificent.”
He said to the couples, “Through all the troubles in society and in our culture about marriage today, look at you. You are the army of the defenders of the truth about marriage.”
The bishop later asked the couples seated near the front, married for at least 70 years, to stand up for special recognition. The chapel erupted in applause.
Meg and Bob Barry, members of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison, were one of the couples celebrating 70 years of marriage. While seven decades of commitment is obviously a sign of true faith and dedication, they modestly credited living long with being married many years.
Kathleen and Loren Buchanan, members of St. Olaf Parish in Deforest and married for 67 years in June, credited a sense of humor for their marriage’s longevity. Kathleen also thanked God, saying “the good Lord has kept us here.”
At the end of the Mass, Bishop Morlino introduced the seminarians from the Diocese of Madison, who helped serve, as “God’s promise to you that your children and your grandchildren will have priests long into the future.”
Recognition and celebration
Each couple that attended the celebration received a certificate of congratulations from Bishop Morlino in recognition for all their years of marriage. They also received a commemorative booklet with photos and comments from some of the couples on their long marriage.
Galvin called it a “beautiful witness to the love that all of you have shared with one another.”
After Mass, several of the couples got a chance to talk with Bishop Morlino and get their pictures taken with him.
At the reception following Mass, couples and their guests enjoyed each other’s company, as well as cake and punch.
Piano music was performed by Chelsea Verges and David Yerke.
Some of the seminarians from the diocese also took time to meet and talk with some of the couples.