Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

TRUMBULL—The rainy weather did not dampen the spirits of those gathered at St. Theresa Church in Trumbull on Sunday, May 5 to celebrate the annual Jubilee Mass and Concert. Over 150 couples registered for this joyful anniversary event to renew their commitment of love and friendship to each other.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano congratulated the couples on more than 6,200 combined years of marriage. Recognizing the longest married couple with 73 years, the bishop said, “Now that’s worth celebrating!”

In reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading from John 21, the bishop commented that those words could reveal the success of such lasting marriages. “When Jesus asked Peter, ‘Do you love me?’” the bishop quoted in his homily, “he was also saying ‘Peter, will you be my friend?’” While married couples are undoubtedly spouses and lovers, he added, they are also the best of friends.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend,” he said, speaking before the altar filled with white roses and peonies. “You have offered your life fully and completely to your spouse. Through illness, health, prosperity and maybe even poverty, you have chosen to stand by your spouse.”

This commitment, he said, is often misunderstood in our world, but those present have the “unbreakable glue” that keeps a marriage strong, a glue comes from the grace of Christ which brought such couples together—and held them together for decades.

“You have found the recipe for a successful, grace-filled marriage: friendship,” the bishop said. “It is a life worth living and enjoying. It mirrors the very love of God.”

After his homily, the bishop led the couples in a renewal of their marriage promises. As they turned to each other and joined hands, just as they had done so many years ago, the bishop congratulated them, saying, “Upon whom are you looking? Your husband, your wife, but also your best friend. You have unlocked love’s deep abiding power.”

When the Jubilee Mass concluded, the bishop introduced C4Y, the Diocesan Youth Choir, which presented their annual Spring Concert, the final one of the year. Under the direction of Mary Bozzuti Higgins, the choir gave its audience a special anniversary gift with such selections as “This Little Light of Mine,” Carry Me Home,” and “I Will Rise.”

“It is always appropriate to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage, and here at the diocese we truly enjoy showcasing couples at our Annual Jubilee Mass,” said Rose Talbot-Babey, coordinator of Religious Education who, along with the Office of Faith Formation, organized this event. “We should encourage and promote those who desire to unify themselves as one with our Lord.”

Following the Mass and Concert, a light reception followed at St. Theresa School for all celebrants and their families.

Wedding Jubilarians