Hail to the helpmates and a wholesome way of life

World Marriage Day celebration offers blessings, tales of couples’ lives

By Tom Maguire
Associate editor

Happily, her guess was correct.

Anne Prell had thought that she and her husband, Phillip J. Prell, might be the longest-married couple at the World Marriage Day Mass. They learned that others around them — the younger crowd — are in the 70-year club. And although they never thought they would even live to be 72, they stood there kissing in the Cathedral to celebrate the fact that March 31, 2023, will mark their 72^nd anniversary.

“It was just so awesome,” Anne said of the Feb. 19 ceremony. “It was the church that kept us together, you know? We made that commitment before God, before man, and that helped us throughout our married life.”

“We had our ups and downs, you know, just like everybody,” Phillip said.

“And our parents,” Anne said, “our parents … were always very faithful, very supportive, we were fortunate, each of us,” to have “wonderful parents, and they went through a lot, and we saw that growing up. It gave us that strength too.”

The couple lives in Liverpool and attends Christ the King Church. Asked how they have become such paragons of matrimony, Anne said, “Six kids.”

“Anybody left had to take the kids with ’em,” Phillip said with the same joshing air.

They also have a large contingent of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Both Anne and Phillip said God has blessed them with faith. “Faith and a great sense of humor gets you through,” he said.

“Our whole family when they get together, our six kids and him. You would think they were all 12 years old,” Anne said. “All the laughter and the jokes and reminiscing.”

Add ’em up

One hundred eight couples registered for the Mass and just about that many showed up at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, said Lisa Hall, director of the diocesan Family / Respect Life Office, which added up the number of years of married life for the registered couples: almost 5,800 years. Couples married 25, 50 and more than 50 years each received a certificate from Bishop Douglas J. Lucia. Violin and piano music for that portion included “How Great Thou Art,” “Lord of the Dance” and “Morning Has Broken.” 

One attendee emailed her appreciation for the music, which was provided by violinist Courtnee Corcoran; her husband, pianist Josh Corcoran; cantor Dominick Corbacio; and organist Dr. Brian DuSell.

“It was so lovely; we had four couples who were married 70 years in attendance,” Hall said. She viewed the Mass, which included the renewal of the commitment to holy matrimony and the blessing of the rings, as a “great way to celebrate marriage and the gift of family and really the witness, the living, beautiful witness that marriage is in the world.”

Bishop Lucia spoke of making space for God in our lives, and he has plenty of room in his heart for his parents as well. He told the congregation that as his parents approached 60 years of marriage, “more and more, they were becoming helpmates to one another.” As his parents got frailer, he said, they could not get to Sunday Mass. But he was edified because on Sunday mornings, his dad would make sure his mom was up, and the two of them would watch Mass together and then pray the rosary together.

Continuing the praise of parents was Carol Zuk, who on Sept. 23, 2023, will celebrate 51 years of marriage to George Zuk. Residents of Central Square who attend Divine Mercy Church, the two always have dinner together and always pray before dinner.

Carol cited “parental guidance” — obvious observations from family: “like 20 aunts and uncles and parents” who instilled in her a devotion to God and family.

“I just never knew anybody who was divorced when I was growing up,” George said. When George was very young his father died, he said, “and my wife was very patient with me and it’s caused me to become a better person, better follower of God, better husband right now, better father. If it wasn’t for her I don’t know who I’d be, so 51 years of marriage, she was the one.”

The second 12 hours

Carol and George ran a trucking company for almost 50 years, and they still have rentals. As for God’s blessings, George cited “good health, good fortune, beautiful children, wonderful wife. Just an ability to work hard and to enjoy physical labor, enjoy the fruits of physical labor.”

He would tell people they worked “half days,” and in the “second 12 hours we usually do a lot more work.” 

Carol spoke of “three kids and five grandchildren and more to come.” She said their middle son passed about 21 years ago while he was studying to be a priest at Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg.

“Wonderful young man,” George said.

“We were blessed to have him,” Carol said.

A couple who identified themselves as Rick and Peg from St. Patrick’s in Binghamton are married for 33 years this year. Rick spoke of putting the other person first and thinking about each other all the time. They have two kids and “one beautiful granddaughter.” The children, Peg said, are “our huge blessing,” and she added that God is “so good to us.”

Onondaga Valley Academy, at Seneca Turnpike and Midland Avenue in Syracuse, was where North Syracuse residents and St. Rose of Lima attendees Edward and Barbara Woodworth met. “She was a freshman and I was a sophomore,” Edward said. So they were instantly in love in high school? “No,” Barbara said. “I went to work for a couple years,” she said with a laugh.

On April 30 this year, they will celebrate their 63rd anniversary.

“We just had a boy and a girl and that’s all we needed,” Barbara said. “And we traveled. Once the kids left home we traveled.” She would recommend France and Germany.

Bob and Joan Paccone, Apalachin residents who attend St. Ambrose in Endicott, will celebrate 68 years of marriage on Dec. 26 this year, but the question posed was, How have you improved in the last year?

“I would say it’s getting harder and harder to keep the wife happy,” quipped Bob.

“Getting old is not for sissies,” Joan said, matching Bob’s mirthful tone.

Standing next to the Paccones was one of their six children, Ellen Robb, of East Syracuse, who celebrates her 40^th anniversary this year with her husband, Dick Robb. “Whether you’re celebrating 25 years or 72,” Ellen said, “you all are in it for the same reason: love, devotion to your spouse, and the time just makes it that much more special.”

Becoming a sacrament

Bishop Lucia reminded the couples that not only is marriage a sacrament, but it also includes a calling: “We are called to become the sacrament.” And he posed questions: How do we show God’s love? How do we show the face of God to those around us? How do we not only complete one another but also how do we complete God? 

The Bishop also promoted a “wholesome way of life.” He didn’t mean that couples never fight or that they don’t have words. But a “wholesome way of life means working through it, working through it, and trying to grow,” he said. 

Asked what stood out to him at Sunday’s ceremony, Bob Paccone said, “I would say the fact that so many other priests came out for the Mass today, which in my mind shows that they recognize what is involved in being married and recognizing the years that we’ve all served.”

Sounding hopeful, he quoted something they say in his neck of the woods in Apalachin: “Good Lord willing and the cricks don’t rise, we’ll see you next year.”

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