Wedding anniversary vows renewal

In a family gathering at the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned last weekend, which notably also saw Bishop Carmel Zammit celebrating his fifty years as a priest, seventeen couples renewed their wedding vows at forty, fifty and sixty years since their big day.

Some had already renewed their vows on previous landmark anniversaries.

With their families in attendance, the proud and happy couples each collected a certificate and a gift, before posing for the now traditional photo with the Bishop.

At the end, a representative contingent of the couples then processed up to the main altar to offer a flower token and a candle to Our Lady Of Europe, with the ceremony ending with everyone joining in the ’Padre Nuestro.’

In the renewal of vows the Bishop, who was assisted by Mgr. Charles Azopardi, said “Dear Friends, on the day of your wedding you declared your love for one another in the presence of the Church’s minister and the community. Christ has abundantly blessed your love and will continue to do so.”

Before the ceremony had started there was already a buzz around the pews as I approached the couples who were happy to share a few words on their celebration day.

John and Alice Cruz were childhood sweethearts, now celebrating their golden anniversary.

Alice said “The secret to our marriage is respect and loyalty as well as friendship. These things will be picked up by your children.” They have two.

Victor and Carmen Calderon were married on September 10, 1973. “We met at the old DSA and we’re still going strong.”

Carmen quipped in “We now have the Olympic silver and gold medals” she said with a beautiful smile.

William and Janet Lima were also celebrating their fifty years of marriage and were “happy to be here after all these years.”

Indeed, as were Frank and Belinda Valverde who have raised four boys.

She was only 18 when she married. “You have to work at it. It’s not easy” she said.

Then her husband Frank joined in. “It’s difficult raising boys but we did it and here we are and, at our age, all we ask for is good health above everything.”

Belinda told me that they had also renewed their vows at 25 years, “so this is like the third time that we get married.”

Joseph Louis and Maricela Vinet have been married for 53 years and they didn’t get to attend their fifty-year renewal ceremony.

They are the parents of Fabian Vinet, the former GSD minister, and were very happy to finally get the chance to renew their vows.

Manuel and Giselle Munoz were very happy to be there as he had recently been quite poorly.

“It’s a relief he’s better now, thank God, that was two months ago,” Giselle said, “We are celebrating our fortieth anniversary and we have a boy and a girl who are here today.”

To my rhetorical question of would they do it all over again, they both replied in unison “Claro que si,” and their smiles said it all.

Joseph and Rosemary Mir were celebrating their sixty years anniversary.

“I have six grandchildren and three great grandchildren” said Rosemary, who has been recuperating from a stroke, “we have already renewed our twenty-fifth and fiftieth anniversary wedding vows and we shall keep doing so while we can” said Joseph.

Frank and Flordelis Ramirez have five grandchildren, “four girls and one boy and this will be our sixty-first anniversary come September, please God” said Flordelis.

They met when Frank was 26 and she 25. “This is a really nice event and it’s the third time that we have done it” said Frank, clearly happy to be there.

All the couples were invited to the ceremony by the Christian Family Movement, who have been organising the event since its inception.

They were in agreement with me that the numbers have been dropping slightly and not as many young couples are attending, although it’s difficult to say whether they’re not staying together or simply not interested in renewing their wedding vows.

Renewal of wedding vows is a big thing in the United States and other places, so perhaps this is a temporary trend and it reverses, because it was clear to me that it’s a popular family event that the Catholic church here has seen grow over the years.

Our congratulations go to all the couples who took part.

We wish them more years of wedded bliss and good health.