Archdiocesan Mass honors couples
married 50 years or more

By Brandon A. Evans

More than 164 couples celebrating 50 years or more of marriage turned out to celebrate a special Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass on Nov. 5 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis.

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein was the principal celebrant at the Mass at which the couples renewed their marriage vows and received a special blessing from the archbishop.

The archbishop also personally greeted and gave a gift to each of the 21 couples celebrating 60 or more years of marriage.

The couples at the Mass represented more than 8,800 combined years of marriage.

Imagine what a lonely person looking for someone to care would find if they came into the cathedral, Archbishop Buechlein said during his homily.

“Would they not find an answer to their seeking?” he asked. “How did these beautiful couples manage to find a love that could last 50, 60, maybe even 70 years? How could they do this in an age when so many marriages come apart?

“The fact that you’re here this afternoon says that when all is said and done, the meaning of your life together, the meaning of your love for each other and the trust that you have for each other had to be rooted in God. You have needed God’s blessing on your marriage over and over again,” Archbishop Buechlein said.

“In your own words, I think you would tell us that one of the secrets of a happy marriage is the commitment to have God as your mutual third partner,” he said.

St. Luke parishioner Genevieve Claypool of Indianapolis, who has been married to her husband, Edward, for 67 years, said that their faith kept them together, and that being able to celebrate so many years of marriage is unbelievable.

Her husband jokingly said that to keep young couples together they should be locked in the house so that they learn to get along.

Holy Family parishioner Chester Hublar of New Albany, who has been married to his wife, Cecelia, for 67 years, said that there are a lot of distractions for younger couples.

His advice for young couples is turn off the television.

As for his time being married, Hublar said that it doesn’t seem to have been as long as it has. Once you get past the first 50 years, he said, you’ve got it made.

Too often, young people today, Claypool said, don’t take their wedding vows seriously enough.

“No couple’s love on the day of their wedding is enough for a lifetime,” Archbishop Buechlein said, “because love is not static—love is a decision that grows and is pruned and is tempered by life’s experiences.”

Family and friends, he said, help married couples continually nurture that love and trust that cements their marriage.

“As their family and friends, we promise to continue to support them, not just this afternoon, but in the good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, all the days of their lives,” he said.

He also called husbands and wives to continue giving their love, not just to each other, but to all those around them in need.

“That, my dear friends, is what we mean when we say marriage is a sacrament of the love of God,” the archbishop said. “God’s love takes flesh and reaches out to others through your married love. Your vocation is to share your love with family and neighbors.” †