On Saturday, October 28, 2023, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, men and women entered the church on a day dedicated to celebrating the enduring power of love. One by one, couples entered the cathedral to celebrate a special Wedding Anniversary Mass. As they processed in they were reminded of their wedding days and encouraged to give thanks and celebrate the years of union that have defined their lives.
Leading the congregation was the Very Rev. Michael Burbeck, Vicar General of the Diocese of Raleigh. Fr. Burbeck spoke of the profound love that bound them all. He emphasized the commandment to love one another as Christ had loved them.
After the homily, a hushed excitement filled the cathedral as couples stood hand in hand, ready to renew their vows. Rev. Burbeck's words of blessing washed over them, reaffirming the unbreakable bonds forged through the sacrament of Matrimony.
This year's celebration saw a notable increase in the number of Latino couples participating. The program, written in both Spanish and English, allowed for a bilingual mass, enabling couples who spoke Spanish to renew their vows in their native language.
Among them were David Rey Garibay and Yolanda Vazquez Garibay, both originally from Mexico. They met in the United States and were now celebrating 25 years of marriage. For Yolanda, the key to their marriage is to “talk” and to have God as the center of their lives. David added, "It's that we are one person, and we are for each other."
This annual mass held special significance for those celebrating their 25th, 50th, or even 60th anniversaries. Also among the 168 registered couples were Bill and Judy Riggins, parishioners from St. Catherine in Wake Forest.
Bill's voice echoed with a mixture of pride and nostalgia as he recalled the early days, a time when the odds seemed stacked against them. Their love story, which he described as a fusion of backgrounds as different as night and day, had defied the skeptics. "We shook the dust from our sandals and left," he declared. Judy, her eyes sparkling with the light of years well spent, interjected, "And you all said it wouldn't work." Her laughter rang through the cathedral, a joyful symphony celebrating their triumph.
As Bill continued, he offered sage advice garnered from half a century of shared experiences. "Listen and feel not only for yourself but for your partner. You must work as a pair. And the only time that you should yell at each other is if the house is on fire."
