Cardinal commemorates 50th wedding anniversaries with blessings in uplifting Mass
During an afternoon filled with celebration, love, and joy, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, blessed more than 150 couples who have achieved 50 years of marriage at an uplifting golden anniversary Mass on May 15 in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Husbands and wives from throughout the Archdiocese of Newark — some women wearing their wedding veils — held each other’s rings as Cardinal Tobin asked God to sanctify their love, praying that the couples grow in the sacrament of matrimony’s grace. He also called on the couples to recognize that Christ has been with them through all 50 years of their marriages, even during life’s darkest moments.
“At times like this, when we can look back, we think of all those moments when Jesus was there, when Jesus loved us then even when we weren’t sure we loved each other or loved him,” Cardinal Tobin said in his homily. “And the good news of that is that’s not going to end. Jesus is with you, rejoicing.”
Cardinal Tobin spoke with each couple following the Mass, listening to their reflections and congratulating them on their half-century of commitment to each other. He then presented them with pins commemorating their semicentennial anniversaries.
The golden anniversary Mass was a celebration of the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office for Family Life Ministry, which strengthens families’ faith by holding educational conferences, organizing marriage retreats, providing ministry support training for parishes, and other spiritual initiatives. To learn more about the Office for Family Life Ministry, visit the website.
Featured image: A couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary receives commemorative pins from Cardinal 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 Sean Quinn/the Archdiocese of Newark)
