October 20, 2025 // Bishop

Couples Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries in Fort Wayne

Clare Hildebrandt

Reporter

At the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, dozens of couples joined hands in prayer as Bishop Rhoades celebrated Mass to honor their milestone anniversaries. The couples who have been married for decades gazed at each other as they renewed their vows with looks of deep sincerity.

Clare Hildenbrandt
Couples marking jubilee anniversaries hold hands during a special Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne on Sunday, October 5.

On Sunday, October 5, couples within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend who were celebrating jubilee anniversaries of 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 65, and even 70 years were invited to Mass at the cathedral in Fort Wayne to commemorate their vocation to married life.
After Bishop Rhoades celebrated Mass in their honor, the couples and their families gathered for a reception at St. Mary, Mother of God Church.

“Our anniversary couples whom we celebrate and pray for today have persevered in faith and love through their married lives,” Bishop Rhoades said during his homily.

“Dear couples, many years ago, with faith in God, you made a great act of faith to each other when you pronounced your marriage vows. You received God’s grace to help you to live those vows: to be faithful to each other, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor each other all the days of your life.”

He asserted that Catholic marriages, particularly those celebrating jubilee anniversaries, are “great witnesses” for young people.

“You are witnesses to the power of faith at this time in our culture when there has been a steep decline in the number of young people getting married. Perhaps they may not feel able to make such a lifelong commitment or they question its value. Your example of the joy of marriage is a great witness that can encourage young people to make such a lifetime commitment, just like the example that the joy of priests and religious can encourage young people to make a lifetime commitment of celibacy,” Bishop Rhoades exclaimed.

He continued: “Anniversary couples, when you got married, you set out on a journey together and you have walked hand in hand, having put yourselves with faith in the Lord’s powerful hands. And you continue to do so. Your marital bond is preserved through prayer and the reception of the sacraments, especially the holy Eucharist. This is how you keep alive your bond with the Lord, who is the foundation of your marital bond. Your bond with each other is also strengthened when you pray for each other. I know you probably give each other gifts as signs of your love. Remember to give each other the greatest gift – praying for each other.”

In the audience, listening to Bishop Rhoades’ homily, were Deacon Rob and Kara Slocum, who were celebrating their 40th anniversary.

“It was really good to refocus on your marriage [with the anniversary Mass] because life does get so busy,” Kara Slocum told Today’s Catholic. “We saw a lot of couples we hadn’t seen in a while from our own parish and from other parishes, which was really nice.”

Deacon Slocum, who is assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Fort Wayne, told Today’s Catholic that prayer is a key aspect to a long-lasting marriage.

“Everything doesn’t go smoothly all the time, so it’s really important to realize that, and then prayer helps you get through those more difficult times,” he said.

Kara Slocum added that prayer “always helps us. The more we pray, the smoother things go. The time we take to pray together really strengthens our relationship.”

Phillip and Rita Rorick celebrated 65 years of marriage at the anniversary Mass.

“This was the first time we attended the Mass,” Rita Rorick said. “Faith is very important in our marriage. Sunday Mass is important.”

Ultimately, in giving advice to newlyweds or those considering the vocation of marriage, Phillip Rorick told Today’s Catholic: “Work together, cooperate, it’s a joint thing. Make sure to do things together.”

Pete and Janeen Carteaux also celebrated their 40th anniversary.

“It was a nice Mass,” Janeen Carteaux said. “It was nice to celebrate with so many people from different parishes as well as with different anniversaries – 30, 40, 50, even one with 70 years,” she added. “[Marriage] is a lot of work and allows you to grow in patience, faith, and perseverance.”

Clare Hildebrandt is a staff writer for Today’s Catholic.