A Jubilee Mass celebrates the gift of marriage
On Sunday, June 1, the Archdiocese of Newark celebrated the gift of marriage as part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope.
Couples with significant wedding anniversaries, including those who have been united for five, 25, and 50 years, were invited to participate in a Jubilee Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. More than 170 couples attended the moving celebration, with another 15 couples participating via livestream.
In his homily, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, said that he had been privileged to speak with many married couples over the years, “and the couple that had the biggest effect on me were my mom and dad.”
A shocking recognition
The cardinal recalled how, after his father’s death, his mother told him there were moments when they “couldn’t take another minute” of each other. Cardinal Tobin said that he was shocked, “but I had the good sense to shut up, because I knew she was going to teach me something.”
He continued: “She said, ‘You know, we never went to bed after a bad day without being able to pray about it, to ask God to forgive us and give us the strength to forgive each other.”
“At that moment, I recognized what the sacrament of marriage can mean,” Cardinal Tobin said. “It’s a recognition each day that this isn’t good luck or bad luck or happenstance or my karma; God brought us together and God will be there when we need him.”
Faithful witnesses to hope
Married couples play a key role during the Jubilee of Hope, Cardinal Tobin concluded, helping us understand that “hope is reached every day, with your fellow pilgrim who’s walking with you. In walking together, in faithfulness, with room in your hearts for God, you teach the rest of us that we can keep what we say, what we promise, to God.”
“Thank you for your witness of faithfulness,” Cardinal Tobin told the couples. “Thank you for what you contribute to the health of the Body of Christ.”
After Mass, anniversary couples were invited to the front of the Cathedral Basilica, where they were greeted by Cardinal Tobin and received pins as mementos of the occasion.
Many couples later sent messages of thanks to the archdiocesan Office for Family Life Ministry. “We will remember this joyous occasion always,” one participant wrote. Another expressed her gratitude at being able to share the “emotional” ceremony and “stunning Basilica” with her family.
What is the greatest blessing you have received from your marriage?
Jersey Catholic asked some of the anniversary couples to name the greatest blessing they had received from their marriage. Here are their answers:
John and Yahui Olenik, 60 years
“The greatest blessing is that we live together and have each other! What a joy!”
Carl and Linda Parente, 50 years
“Our mutual love and respect for each other and our ability to overcome any differences between us – those have been the greatest blessings. We found we could get through anything as long as we had Christ in our lives.”
Ashok Maliakal and Marina Thottan, 25 years
“Having Jesus as a part of our marriage has been the greatest blessing, along with the gift of our children and the grace of being together.”
Carmelo and Ces Nagamos, 25 years
“The greatest blessing for us is our children and having God present in our family. He is always in the middle of everything!”
You can see more photos from the Jubilee for Married Couples here.
Featured image: A couple celebrating their wedding anniversary receive a pin from Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., after the Mass for the Jubilee for Married Couples on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Sean Quinn / Archdiocese of Newark)
