October 4, 2016 // Local

Couples celebrate wedding anniversaries at South Bend, Fort Wayne Masses

Todays Catholic

By Emily Schmid

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Churches at both ends of the diocese — Saint Matthew Cathedral, South Bend, and St. Charles Borromeo parish, Fort Wayne — were filled recently with married couples and their families for special Wedding Jubilee Masses celebrated by Bishop Rhoades. The Masses celebrated couples observing their 25th, 50th or 60th year of marriage, and were organized by Fred and Lisa Everett of the Office of Family Life. The Masses did not include the liturgical calendar readings, but rather featured three readings most commonly used in wedding masses.

In his homilies, Bishop Rhoades focused on the reading from 1 Corinthians, one of the most recognizable passages from the New Testament. It begins, “Love is patient, Love is kind.” He went through St. Paul’s list of love’s characteristics, relating them to a loving and successful marriage. Bishop said of the couples sitting before him, “Our anniversary couples have undoubtedly experience struggles in living this call to true love, but they have persevered and they have grown. They have matured in love. Otherwise, they would not be here to today.”

Bishop reminded those listening that fewer young people are entering into marriage, and suggested that fear of a failed marriage may be a reason for that. He thanked the anniversary couples for taking the courageous risk to marry and for showing that it is a risk worth taking.

The couples’ witness of true, lasting love was brought before God in a blessing that followed the homily. Bishop asked God to bless the anniversary couples so that they may continue to “bear witness to Christ’s love for the Church by their love for each other.”