AUSTRALIA: LONGEST-MARRIED COUPLES RENEW VOWS

Image from The Record of Noreen and Don Dickinson, the longest-married of the couples

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CATH NEWS REPORT: Eighteen couples in a parish near Perth will renew their vows in a Special Wedding Anniversary Mass to be held in August this year, reports the Record.

Noreen and Don Dickinson are the longest-married of the couples, from the parish of of Sts John and Paul in Willetton south of Perth, who will renew their vows on August 21 in the parish. The couple married on in 1957 and are celebrating 54 years of marriage this year.Every year since 2007, couples celebrating their Silver (25th), Pearl (30th), Coral (35th), Ruby (40th), Sapphire (45th) or Golden (50th) Wedding anniversary during the year are invited to be the special Mass.

Any couple celebrating a wedding anniversary of more than 50 years is also invited, as each year after 50 is considered 'significant', one of the organisers, Su Goh, said.

Since 2008, at least one couple celebrating their first wedding anniversary has participated in the occasion. Two newly married couples will join in this year.

Su said she was inspired to organise the event at Sts John and Paul Parish in Willetton when she attended a special Wedding Anniversary Mass at St Thomas More parish in Bateman with her husband in 2004.

Su and David Goh, who were married in 1974 in Singapore and emigrated to Perth in 1991, now have two grown up sons, celebrated their Pearl Anniversary that year. This experience inspired her to approach her parish priest in 2007 and ask if he would be prepared to celebrate a special Mass at Willetton too.

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=27227

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