‘Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love’ was our theme for our 2025 celebration held in St Mary’s Cathedral during National Marriage Week 7 – 14 February 2025. And what a celebration it was – joyful, spiritual and emotional! 380 attended the Mass presided by Bishop Stephen with four concelebrating priests, five assisting deacons supported by three altar servers.
It was with sadness that I referred in my closing acknowledgements to two of my brother deacons who had died in 2024. Peter Lavery and John Hawthorne who, with their respective wives Pauline and Angela, had been MarriageCare marriage preparation facilitators. Their loss to the diocese and engaged couples has been significant and we pray for Pauline and Angela for the peace and grace which only their faith will bring.
Among the congregation were local members of Couples for Christ UK. Of the 380, forty-two couples were presented with certificates by Bishop Stephen following their names being called individually for years ranging from 10 to 65. In one emotional case the spouse came forward to receive the certificate for her and her husband who together had celebrated fifty years in 2024 but sadly her husband John had died in late 2024.
Monica commented, “I want to express my grateful thanks for a wonderful Mass (today), everyone was so warm and welcoming. I found it very emotional and will treasure my certificate.”
Monica spoke to the Bishop explaining her situation. She continued, “I express my gratitude to Bishop Stephen for his wonderful greeting.”
The emotion felt by the congregation was palpable.
I spoke to Bob a parishioner the next day who had received a certificate celebrating their diamond anniversary He was in tears of joy just thinking of the day. His wife Anne commented later, “We were excited and nervous and with knees knocking. We have enjoyed our family life, had always remained friends; it is a good job we’re still in love!”
On marriage as a sacrament Monica and Tommy reflected on their day, “A very uplifting mass, a witness to the sacrament of marriage. Lovely to see so many age groups celebrating married life in the splendour of St Mary’s cathedral.”
We acknowledge always that not all married partners are Catholic and this is a wonderful occasion where such couples have lived and loved and shared each other for however number of years. They join our celebration of Eucharist together with their non-Catholic partner receiving a blessing as they will have done on the day of their wedding. Sheila and David were an example of such a couple.
We acknowledge too that married life can be both a joy and a challenge. As Pat said of her fifty-five years of marriage to Dave, “The Marriage and Family Life Mass gave us an opportunity to reflect on our 55 years of married life. We both acknowledged that our marriage had been and still is a challenge, however, our love for each other remains constant. The Mass gave us a feeling of belonging to see other couples and people attending. We also felt an inner peace and thanksgiving to God for our married life. In fact we were extra nice to each other the rest of the day!!!!!!! Dave is thinking now ‘I will have to buy Pat emeralds on our anniversary’.”
Helen applied online for a certificate for her parents Ronald and Winifred’s 60th anniversary. She wrote in advance of her parents’ response, “My parents thoroughly enjoyed the service. Thank you for making their 60th anniversary so memorable. They have a card from King Charles to look forward to also.”
Ronald wrote subsequently, “We were delighted to attend the service at the Cathedral to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. The mass of thanksgiving was perfect and the hymns were given the words to suit the occasion. The presentation of our certificate by the Bishop brought our day to a very joyful conclusion.”
Victoria and Andy celebrating 13 years commented, “The service and the whole day were very nice. We have framed the certificate.”
During the Mass couples were asked to stand to renew their vows which was an integral part of the celebration. Teresa commented on this in relation to her 40 years married to Paul, “We loved the opportunity to renew our vows in Church and during Mass because we had been married in Church.”
The emotion felt by Bob earlier reflected that radiating from the renewal which brought tears to Anna, a MarriageCare facilitator and counsellor.
We should not forget in our thoughts and prayers that our Marriage day remembers engaged couples preparing for marriage, those married since our 2024 Mass, those widowed and bereaved during this time, couples in crisis, perhaps fractured by divorce or separation and individual adults and children experiencing difficulties and abuse in their family relationships. We wish all to know that no-one is forgotten and that the Sacramental life, despite the pressures of contemporary life and their experiences throughout the past year, is very much alive and prayed for.
On a personal note, I met a couple and their young children after the service who are currently on an RCIA course looking to the future as a Catholic married family. Their joy and optimism were an inspiration.
Once again this year the music directed by Philip Robinson supported by the organist David and Diocesan choir added so much to the liturgy. It was clear to the ear that the congregation joined in wholeheartedly.
I wish to thank Bishop Stephen for his support and presence, I am grateful to our readers, Anna Cantwell and Mariebeth Bedrejo for scripture and Teresa Saunders for the prayers of intercession. I would like to thank everyone individually who attended particularly those celebrating a significant anniversary – perhaps we could say that every year is significant! Our Cathedral Dean Canon Simon, staff and volunteers deserve thanks and Amy in the Diocesan Faith and Mission team for her sterling work in collecting and monitoring certificate requests and printing the Orders of Service.
Finally, a note for your diaries; the next Mass will be held in the Cathedral on Saturday 14 February 2026 – quite an appropriate day to celebrate the love of married couples and the love within family life.
You can read Deacon Rob’s Homily from the Mass by clicking on the adjacent box.
Photos below are re-produced with the kind permission of Mike March, Pilgrim Photography.
