Couples from around the Diocese of Brooklyn reaffirmed their love for one another “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, all the days of their lives” at the annual Diocesan Eucharistic Celebration of Wedding Anniversaries, held April 27 at Immaculate Conception Monastery, Jamaica.
Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros celebrated the morning Mass, and the 180 couples in attendance received a commemorative certificate and a photo with the bishop.
“It (the Mass) was very heartwarming and brought back good feelings of repeating my vows of 1963,” said Francis Boccabella, a parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, South Ozone Park, who is celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary this year with his wife Jeanette.
The couples being honored have been married for at least 25 years. Some couples celebrated anniversaries of 60 years or more. In total, 7,180 years of married life were represented at the Mass.
Each couple renewed their wedding vows in one of five different languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Polish and Creole.
In his homily, Bishop Cisneros said that God has been present in each of the couples’ lives, and he said he hopes the couples continue to pray that Jesus Christ remains at the center of their relationships.
“We are a people of faith,” the bishop said. “We are here not because of chance or fortune, but because God has called us to be here. God has called you to be husband and wife.”
Husbands and wives expressed their own secrets as to what has made their marriages last for so long. Many of the couples agreed that their faith in God has played a vital role in their marriage.
“I think the secret to keep it going strong is a willingness to be patient and a willingness to listen,” said Stan Joseph of Immaculate Conception Monastery.
“And a willingness to communicate and compromise,” added Joelle Mith-Joseph, Stan’s wife of 25 years.
Pat and Jane LaRocca of St. Mel’s parish, Flushing, were actually married on the exact day of the Mass – April 27 – 50 years ago at the same time, 11 a.m. They both agreed that it was quite a coincidence.
“It seems like 50 years ago was yesterday,” Pat said. “The service was very nice, and it brought back a lot of memories. We were happy to be part of it.”
Ernest and Maria Pospischil from St. Matthias parish, Ridgewood, are also celebrating 50 years of marriage this year. Both are immigrants from Europe, and Ernest said the couple got off to a great start in their lives together.
“My wife (Maria) has been very instrumental in my life,” he said. “She’s always by my side supporting me, and I try to do the same.”
Jim and Sarah DeProssino from St. Thomas Aquinas, Flatlands, renewed their wedding vows for the seventh time in their 60 years of marriage. Sarah said that it’s important in a marriage to take a break from the fast pace of society and spend as much time together as possible.
“You bring a lot of happiness to your family by having fun,” Sarah said. “It’s been a very good life and good marriage.”
Theresa Ferrara, wife of Anthony for 61 years and a parishioner at Nativity of the B.V.M., Ozone Park, has a piece of advice for younger couples just starting out.
“I think it’s a commitment for life together,” she said. “You’re making a life commitment. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
As Bishop Cisneros said, “Love is a call of a life of service to one another,” and the diocesan couples celebrating their anniversaries fit the bishop’s description perfectly.
“It’s very popular because people want to celebrate the richness of their marriage, and they want their families to be here to witness to that wonderful celebration as well,” said Theodore Musco, director of the diocesan office of Faith Formation, the sponsor of the event.
The Mass for wedding anniversaries is celebrated each year near the end of April, with the parish location alternating between Brooklyn and Queens.
