Couples mark their special wedding anniversaries with Mass in St Patrick’s
THIRTY five couples celebrated significant wedding anniversaries last Friday night at the Wicklow Parish wedding anniversary mass.
An annual event on the parish calendar couples from Rathnew and Wicklow parishes came together to celebrate their 25th, 40th, 50th, 55th and 60th wedding anniversaries.
Two couples, Tom and Mary Malone and Jean and Eamomn Murray, were celebrating their diamond 60th anniversary on the night while two couples celebrated their 55th anniversary.
Three couples were celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss while there were 12 couples celebrating their 40th anniversary. Fourteen couples were celebrating their 25th anniversary.
Many of the couples had been married in the parish in their respective years while others had married outside the parish but had later moved to Wicklow and Rathnew.
The mass was celebrated by Fr Donal Roche and con-celebrated by Fr Pat O’Rourke.
Many of the couples’ family and friends attended the moving ceremony with some people travelling back to their native Wicklow for the momentous occasion.
In total 180 people joined with the couples for the Mass, the majority of whom then attended a lavish reception in the De La Salle which was provided by the parish’s hospitality committee. All of the couples received certificates on the night which will now take pride of place in their homes.
Parish secretary Debbie Hanlon said it had been a very special night.
‘We have this mass every year and it has really grown in popularity. There is always a great attendance and people look forward to it. The mass itself was very special and the reception in the De la Salle was second to none with the hospitality committee putting on a great spread for everyone.
‘ There were plenty of photos taken on the night.’
The evening began with a procession up the ailse where a couple from each of the anniversary years brought up a candle to place at the altar.