September 23, 2025 // Bishop

Couples Come to St. Matthew Cathedral for Anniversary Mass

Eileen Bond

Patience, forgiveness, and a lot of prayer. These are the things that have helped Ronald and Susan Peterson through the last 60 years of marriage. Sitting nestled in a pew between a couple celebrating 50 years of marriage and a couple celebrating 70 years of marriage, the Petersons renewed their commitment before God to live their marriage in holiness at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend on Sunday, September 14, during the diocese’s annual Marriage Jubilee Mass. The anniversary Mass in Fort Wayne will be celebrated on Sunday, October 5, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at 11:30 a.m.

Photos by Eileen Bond
Couples who were celebrating their 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 65th, or 70th wedding anniversaries were invited to mark the milestones with Bishop Rhoades at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend on Sunday, September 14. The Jubilee Anniversary Mass in Fort Wayne will be held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday, October 5.

“Have patience and keep the faith,” Susan Peterson told Today’s Catholic. “Life is just so much better together,” Ronald added. During the Mass, his hand rested gently on hers as they stood beside each other and recited their renewal of commitment. They celebrated 60 years of marriage on May 1 this year. Married in Chicago, they adopted two children – a boy and a girl – who now have kids of their own. Now grandparents, the Petersons say it’s practicing patience and forgiveness with one another that has helped them stay strong in their relationship and their faith. 

At the special Mass for married couples celebrating milestone anniversaries, Bishop Rhoades spoke of how fitting it was that the celebration was being held on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. He began his homily by speaking about the meaning behind the cross and its symbolization of hope and victory saying, “With Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the cross, a symbol of utter humiliation and sorrow, of tragedy and pain, was turned into a symbol of hope and victory.”

The victory he references is that of love over hate, good over evil, and life over death. The cross symbolizes God’s triumph over Satan and the establishment of His Kingdom. This is why we exalt the cross, why Bishop Rhoades incenses the cross before every Mass, why it has become a symbol of hope rather than tragedy.

“We are called to exalt the cross not only with our lips but in our lives – in our various vocations, including the vocation of marriage,” Bishop Rhoades said. Referencing the letters of St. Paul, he drew a connection between Christ’s self-giving love of the Church and the bride and groom’s selfless love and commitment. Christ’s love for the Church was expressed by His death on the cross. In the same way that Christ died on the cross, every bride and groom is called to die to themselves and sacrifice for the other person. Christ’s ultimate gift of self, to the end, exemplifies the same selfless love that should be found in marriage.

Following the homily, Bishop Rhoades continued Mass with the blessing of the anniversary couples. Hand in hand, each anniversary couple stood beside one another – as they did in the Sacrament of Matrimony – and recited their vow renewal. Then Bishop Rhoades extended a blessing upon them, saying: “May the Lord keep you safe all the days of your life. May He be your comfort in adversity and your support in prosperity. May He fill your home with his blessings.” Offered every year, these anniversary masses honor couples celebrating a jubilee anniversary and serve as a way to renew their commitment to each other before God. With divorce rates rising, this annual Mass also gives every married couple something to work toward and serves as a reminder to keep faith at the center of everything. 

Christ accepted the pain and suffering of crucifixion to save His Church. In the ultimate act of love, Jesus, in dying for the sake of His bride, the Church, set the example for all those bound in matrimony. He bore His cross and showed complete self-giving love, which is the same love we are all called to practice. This example set by Christ shows us everything we need to know about making marriage work – namely, that relationships rooted in God can survive the roughest waters. 

Just a few pews away from the Petersons sat Becky and Doug Legault. Celebrating 25 happy years of marriage, they are blessed with four beautiful children, and they say it takes compassion and hard work to make a marriage last.

“Marriage is hard work, marriage is compromise, marriage is faith,” Becky Legault said. “Having faith in each other, and also having faith in God,” Becky Legault said, is the key to a successful marriage. The Legaults’ message to other couples hoping to reach 25 years together is simple: It takes a lot of prayer, compassion, and faith.