Couples say ‘I do’ again
For Mortimer and Katherine Currier, World Marriage Day at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on Sunday was just another day.
The Curriers, both in their 80s, have been married for 62 years. They said they enjoyed the ceremony, complete with a renewal of wedding vows and a reception, but the couple didn’t really know what to make of its meaning for other couples.
“We don’t know any other life,” Mortimer Currier said.
But for the other couples in the sanctuary, the day celebrated an institution that is supposed to represent a lifetime commitment.
The day is celebrated internationally on the second Sunday of February, or the first Sunday before Valentine’s Day, said Bobbie Carey, chairman of St. Joseph’s development group, which coordinates special events at the church.
Sunday marked the first time the Cathedral of St. Joseph celebrated World Marriage Day, Carey said.
A Baton Rouge couple, Larry and Sandra Waguespack, started World Marriage Day in 1981 to celebrate the institution of marriage, according to the World Marriage Day website.
Couples of all ages attended Sunday’s festivities, which were intertwined with St. Joseph’s regularly scheduled Mass.
The Rev. Paul Counce, the cathedral pastor, began the day by pointing out the flowers the couples held in their possession.
“I spot an awful lot of boutonnieres on some handsome men, and many blushing brides,” Counce told the congregation of about 500.
Married men wore white boutonnieres pinned to their shirts and jackets, and their wives were given red carnations.
Counce noted in his homily that the day’s Bible readings, from the book of Leviticus and the gospel of Mark, didn’t exactly fit with love and marriage.
The message from Leviticus spoke of casting lepers as outsiders and unholy. The reading from Mark described a story of Jesus healing a leper by simply touching him with his hand.
“But does that have anything to say about marriage? Don’t make a joke,” he said with a laugh.
Counce said the church establishes a cycle for readings, so they can’t be changed just for a special service.
But Counce further explained that Jesus’ healing of the leper shows his love and willingness to help others.
He said marriage is all about sharing burdens with one another.
“Nothing fulfills a person like a spouse,” Counce told the congregation. “It is a relationship of sharing.”
After the homily, all the married couples in the congregation stood. Counce read vows aloud, which the couples repeated.
“You may kiss the bride,” Counce said, followed by sounds of smooching.
Dozens of couples gathered at the front of the sanctuary after the service to pose for group photos, kissing each other for the final picture taken.
The couples then made their way to the cathedral’s Parish Hall next to the sanctuary for a wedding reception complete with wedding cake and music.
“We wanted to give couples of the diocese a chance to be supported by the whole community,” Carey said.