Sunday’s World Marriage Day Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception included four couples who have been married 70 years. One-hundred eight couples signed up for the Mass, a great turnout for the annual February observance.
Anne and Phil Prell of Liverpool were among the many couples blessed by Bishop Lucia on World Marriage Day.
Lisa Hall, director of the diocesan Office of Family / Respect Life, said her office added up the number of years married of the couples who had registered, and it was almost 5,800 years. The longest-married couple in attendance was Phillip J. and Anne Prell, of Christ the King Church in Liverpool, who on March 31 will reach 72 years of marriage.
“It was the Church that kept us together, you know?” Anne said. “We made that commitment before God, before man, and that helped us throughout our married life.” Phil said that Sunday’s Mass “was beautiful, it brought back many wonderful memories. And I just can’t believe that she stuck with me all these years!”
The Mass included the Renewal of Commitment and Blessing of Rings, Blessing of Married Couples and the Recognition of Special Anniversaries. See next week’s Catholic Sun for more coverage.
