Couples celebrate shared faith, gift of married love

CHARLOTTE — After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, married couples celebrating milestone anniversaries were recently able to gather with Bishop Peter Jugis for the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Wedding Anniversary Mass.

The Oct. 23 Mass at St. Ann Church brought more than 30 couples together celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as couples married longer than 50 years. It was sponsored by the Diocese of Charlotte’s new Office of Family Life.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis noted how encouraging and inspiring it was to see so many couples who had traveled from around the diocese to be present at Mass and renew their commitment to one another.

Jerry and Valerie Hackman were among those at the Mass, making the trip from Asheboro to celebrate 64 years of matrimony. Parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hight Point, the Hackmans made their first trip to Charlotte for the event.

The Hackmans met while Valerie was in high school. They became pen pals while Jerry served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and their relationship blossomed over time. They were married at Holy Family Church in Latrobe, Pa., in 1958. They raised two sons and now have one grandson and two great-grandsons.

The Hackmans credit the longevity of their marriage to having parents as good role models, giving each other the freedom to pursue their interests over the years, and a commitment to honest communication.

“You have to talk it out. Both have to give a little,” Valerie said. “You don’t win every time or lose every time,” Jerry added. Both agreed that humor is also important to the health of their marriage. “Laughter is a big part of it,” Valerie said.

Ryan and Shannon Gamble celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, and felt it was important to mark this milestone and celebrate their Catholic faith with other couples. They live in Mooresville, where they attend St. Therese Church. They have two sons who are now in college.

Ryan converted to Catholicism when their eldest son was 2 years old, about six years after they were married at St. Peter’s Church in Dayton, Ohio. “We wanted to raise our children together in one religion,” Shannon explained.

The Gambles devoted themselves to one another, their family and their faith. “Everything we did has always been centered on our children and has always involved our family. I have found a family at the church for a long time,” Ryan said.

Bishop Jugis addressed all the couples, “We know that Christ’s love is the foundation of the life for every Christian. In a very special way, Christ’s love is at the foundation of the sacrament of matrimony, of holy marriage.”

“Jesus Christ is the center of all Christian life, especially of Christian married life,” he continued. “Having Jesus in your marriage makes your marriage stronger, and your ongoing union with Christ makes your marriage stronger.”