100+ couples celebrating 50 years of marriage to receive blessing
Cardinal Tobin Will Also Honor Couples Celebrating 65, 70 Years Together at Annual Golden Anniversary Mass
More than 100 couples celebrating 50 years of marriage — plus a few marking their 65th and 70th years together — will be honored by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, at the Archdiocese of Newark’s annual Golden Anniversary Mass on Sunday, April 16, at 3 p.m. in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
During the Mass, which will be livestreamed on the Cathedral Basilica’s YouTube and Facebook pages, Cardinal Tobin will bless the couples in recognition for faithfully upholding the sacrament of marriage for half a century. Afterward, he will personally congratulate each one while presenting them with blessed gold pins. The pins depict interlocked wedding rings in front of a cross, symbolizing that Christ is at the center of every strong, Catholic marriage.
“It’s a joy to host this Mass every year because these couples deserve to be recognized — they are a great testament to marriage,” said Brian Caldwell, director of the archdiocesan Office for Family Life Ministry. “They’re an example of the strength and enduring love couples experience when they put God at the center of everything. Families get busy, and a lot of struggles come at them. But couples like these who are rooted in faith and grounded in prayer are able to deal with the difficult times.”
The Golden Anniversary Mass has become a beloved tradition since being initiated by the Office for Family Life many years ago, with couples traveling from throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties to participate. Some couples — having moved away from the Archdiocese after getting married — will come from afar for the opportunity to receive Cardinal Tobin’s blessing. Others will be returning to the Cathedral Basilica five decades after getting married there, making their anniversary celebration especially meaningful.
The couples will have much company at the Mass, too, because their families are welcome to attend. The Office for Family Life Ministry encourages loved ones to come so they can be inspired by the honorees’ longtime devotion to each other.
“It’s been a tough few years, and a lot of younger couples are struggling,” Caldwell said. “This Mass gives them hope because they can see couples who have endured whatever life has thrown at them.”
In addition to the Golden Anniversary Mass, the Office for Family Life Ministry will hold a Mass recognizing couples celebrating their 5th and 25th wedding anniversaries on Sunday, May 7, at 3 p.m. inside the Cathedral Basilica, with Auxiliary Bishop Gregory J. Studerus presiding. Beyond that, the office will continue pursuing its mission of strengthening families’ faith by hosting programs, providing ministry support training for parishes, and offering other spiritual initiatives.
If you have been part of a Catholic marriage for the past 50, 25, or five years and would like to participate in one of the Archdiocese of Newark’s anniversary Masses, contact your local parish to register. For more information about the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office for Family Life Ministry, visit www.rcan.org/offices-and-ministries/family-life/mission-staff.
Featured image: A couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary receives commemorative pins from Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin during the Archdiocese of Newark’s Golden Anniversary Mass in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on May 15, 2022. (Photo by Archdiocese of Newark/Sean Quinn)
