Just a few days ago we celebrated Valentin’s Day, reminding us that February 10 was World Marriage Day and February 7-14th was National Marriage Week! In conjunction with this commemoration, the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese does a search for the longest married couples in the Archdiocese. Our parish is triply blest this year by the following three couples: 

• Theresa and Joseph Siclare, married for 70 years 
• Ann and Joseph Giandurco, married for 66 years 
• Ann and Angelo Rubino, married for 66 years.

What a tremendous gift and witness to our parish! We congratulate these couples and honor them with their
certificates from Cardinal Dolan. In a world where a “long
term” marriage is considered 10 years (!), our couples have a lot to teach us! 

First, in this time of our “throw away” society, our couples teach us that it is possible to have one primary relationship and to keep that one person as first in my life. Other relationships may be formed, but none of them is allowed to become more important than my relationship with my husband or with my wife. My husband— my wife— always remains first in my life after God. We thank you for this beautiful witness and testimony!

Second, we thank them for reminding us that marriage is a sacred vow made between a man and a woman before God for life. At a time when so many couples are often and even encouraged to think that “if it doesn’t work out I can leave” — our couples remind us that marriage is a life time journey and when things don’t work out (as frequently and naturally happens in life!), you work and sacrifice to work them out together! In an age where, across the board, fewer and fewer couples are getting married and more and more fear “lifetime” commitments, their witness speaks volumes. Thank you for your witness!

Third, these couples witness to us that true love is much more than “romantic affections” for each other. True love is a decision. I am sure if we talked to these couples they would be the first to tell us that their lives together were filled with the normal frustrations, temptations, and aggravations that go with people living together. However, in spite of those difficulties, each time, they made a conscious decision to stay and to love the person they married. Not always easy, not always the way their feelings leaned, but it is how their will went: I decide to be faithful to my husband or to my wife.

In Spanish, there is the beautiful expression "te quiero", which means “I love you”, but more, the verb querer, means “to want” — I want you— I want to love you— I decide to love you— love is a decision, not merely a feeling. Our couples give us to witness to the true meaning of love. Thank you!
Today, we find the institution and the Sacrament of Marriage are being attacked from all sides; I believe this is really a work of the devil! Destroy marriage and you destroy the very foundations of society: the family, fidelity and truth, the domestic church and the very meaning of love itself.

Today, as a parish, we thank our couples for their witness. We pray for them, for their continual health, for their families and friends as they celebrate this great milestone. We pray for all the married couples of our parish and those preparing for marriage, that they may learn from their witness of fidelity the real meaning of true love! God bless them!

Fr. Pat Angelucci