Silver and Gold Mass

PARSIPPANY  Bishop Serratelli praised 113 couples from parishes around the diocese who are celebrating their 65th, 60th, 50th and 25th wedding anniversaries this year for their steadfast commitment to traditional marriage. The Bishop served as main celebrant at the annual diocesan Silver and Gold Mass Nov. 6 in St. Peter the Apostle Church here.

Fondly recalling the love that they felt on their wedding day, the couples held hands while renewing their vows of love, fidelity and commitment to each other in Holy Matrimony, before Bishop Serratelli. They also received a certificate signed by the Bishop honoring their significant anniversaries. Many of the happy husbands and wives were accompanied by generations of family to witness the joyous occasion, which was coordinated by the diocesan Office of Family Life.

“Marriage has changed a lot, since you first got married,” Bishop Serratelli told the couples. “Society has departed from God’s plan for marriage. That’s why your witness to marriage as husband and wife and father and mother is such a great sign to the people of our world today. You stand out as an example of what God intends for married life — for happiness, for family and for the building up of society. My brother priests and I congratulate you for being so faithful to the call that God gives you and ask every day that he increases your joy and multiplies your happiness both here and in the world to come.”

Father Nicholas Bozza, pastor of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Chester and one of the many priests from across the Diocese who were concelebrants of the Mass, delivered the homily. In it, he drew comparisons between the Church’s two Sacraments of Service: Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony. Both sacraments involve the recognition that God is calling people to married life or the priesthood by filling their hearts with a desire for those specific vocations, he told the congregation.

“Somewhere along the line, people start thinking about marriage and family. The guys start thinking, ‘I would like to find the right girl. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I want to build a family with her.’ Also, women have that desire: ‘One day, I want to marry. I want to find the right man. I want to love him. I want God to bring forth from our love new life: children,” Father Bozza said. “It [marriage] is a beautiful calling that God has given us.”

Whatever our vocation, “God is calling us to be the best that we can be in that calling.” The Lord calls us to piety in action — to love better, as the best the priest, deacon and bishop or husband, father, wife and mother that we can be. The Mass can help us through the Liturgy of the Word — Scriptures and preaching — and the Liturgy of the Eucharist — the Body and Blood of Jesus that “touches and changes our hearts,” he said.

After, Bishop Serratelli led the renewal of vows for the couples. He declared, “Today, the Church shares in your joy. Many things have changed over the years, but one thing that has not changed is the love that you share. It only grows deeper with God’s grace.” The Bishop asked the husbands to kiss their brides at the end of the renewal ceremony, which was met by applause.

At the close of Mass, Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, St. Peter’s pastor, thanked the Bishop and concelebrating priests. He congratulated the couples and invited them to take a keepsake photo with the Bishop at the front of the altar in the church. Then, the couples joined for refreshments in St. Peter’s narthex.

Among the smiling 50th anniversary couples were Jeff and Joyce Fitzgerald, who live in Cedar Grove but worship at Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish, Little Falls. They married on May 14, 1966 in St. Peter Church, Belleville, where they grew up. Childhood sweethearts, the happy couple met in fourth grade and started dating in eighth grade.

“I heard in class that he [Jeff] liked me,” said Joyce, while Jeff added, “She was the first Asian I had ever met and was different from anybody else. She was mysterious.”

Today, the Fitzgeralds have two sons and four grandchildren. Eight years ago, they renewed their vows in the Holy Land at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle: turning water into wine at a wedding. For their anniversary, they renewed their vows at Holy Angels during a Mass with Msgr. Mark Condon, pastor.

They were asked about the secret to a happy marriage. “I always say, ‘yes,’ to my wife,” said Jeff, laughing, before adding, “We have the same values of faith and family.”

Joyce added, “Jeff has been a great friend — plus he’s handsome.” She also noted that their marriage has served as a positive influence on their children and grandchildren.

Another 50th anniversary couple at the Mass, Fredrick and Loretta Richards of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown, married on April 16, 1966 in St. Simon the Apostle Church, Green Pond. They met on a blind date.

“Loretta fell in love with my 1964 Plymouth. I just loved everything about her. It was love at first sight,” said Fredrick, before Loretta quipped while smiling, “He got rid of that Plymouth but kept me.”

The Richards have two children and five grandchildren. The couple also revealed the secret of their long union: opposites attracted. Loretta is more talkative, while Fredrick tends to be less so. They also credit a strong faith for their success.

“We have always have been good together,” said Fredrick, who added, “The [Silver and Gold] Mass with Bishop Serratelli was a great experience.”

Loretta chimed in: “Today, I was just hoping that Fred would say ‘yes’ again, (and he did)!”