In what has become a treasured tradition of the Archdiocese of Denver, over 130 married couples gathered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Northglenn for the annual Anniversary Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila.
The couples present at the Mass represented a wide range of 25 to 70 years of being married, and were given the chance to renew their wedding vows. Archbishop Aquila commended each couple for their witness to the sacrament of marriage.
“I’m certain for all of you, that you have had your moments of suffering and trials in the midst of the joy,” Archbishop Aquila told them. But that joy comes because you have remained faithful. That is a great witness to the world today. You stand as a sign of what marriage is to be about and contradiction to the ways of the world.”
Denver Catholic photographer Andrew Wright was there to capture the heartwarming occasion.
The annual Anniversary Mass was held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish on Sunday, Oct. 23. Over 130 couples were honored. (Photo by Andrew Wright)
During his homily, Archbishop Aquila commended the married couples, recognizing the challenges of marriage but emphasizing the importance of their witness in the culture of today. (Photo by Andrew Wright)
Celebrating their 70th anniversary, Albert and Mary Ida Oliver were the longest-married couple at the Anniversary Mass. (Photo by Andrew Wright)
The married couples were all smiles as they renewed their marriage vows. (Photo by Andrew Wright)
The amount of time the couples were married ranged from 25 to 70 years. (Photo by Andrew Wright)
Those celebrating anniversaries include:
25 Year Anniversary
Donald & Linda Enloe (Jun 29) St. Thomas More Michael & Annetta Gallegos (Jun 29) Immaculate Heart of Mary Samuel & Teresa Gomez (Oct 12) Immaculate Heart of Mary Chris & Susan Kingsley (Jun 29) St. Francis of Assisi Tony & Paula Lopez (Aug 17) St. Thomas More Steve & Cheri Lutton (Jun 29) Sacred Heart of Jesus KC & Mary Matthews (Aug 31) Cure d’Ars Bud & Veronica McArthur (Nov 30) Immaculate Heart of Mary Philip Lloyd McMahon & Mary Ann Peters (Sep 14) Sacred Heart of Jesus Kenneth & Tammy Montoya (Aug 17) Immaculate Heart of Mary Clark & Tina Musser (Jul 13) Holy Cross Terry & Stacy Nichols (Aug 24) Sacred Heart of Mary Larry & Dawn O’Connor (Dec 7) St. Joan of Arc Antonio & Susanna Saurini (Oct 20) Notre Dame James & Jennifer Sharn (Jul 19) St. Joan of Arc Greg & Rebecca Sopkin (Aug 10) Sts. Peter and Paul Dennis & Cecelia Sponable (Sep 14) Sts. Peter and Paul Kevin & Heather Vasina (Oct 20) St. Joan of Arc James & Carmen Whitfield (Sep 28) St. Joan of Arc
50 Year Anniversary
Tony & Cathy Abeyta (Nov 26) St. Augustine Philip & Ursula Awad (Sep 3) St. Frances Cabrini Douglas & Carol DeJong Biegger (Sep 10) St. John the Evangelist (Lvld) Jim & Susan Carabajal (Jun 18) Sts. Peter and Paul Deacon Ross & Olga Cassados (Jul 9) Holy Trinity Trinidad Chacon & Carlota Baca (Jan 9) Santa Teresa Edward & Janet Comfort (Nov 12) St. Michael the Archangel Gary & Janice Fields (Sep 17) Immaculate Heart of Mary Charles & Ann Firby (Oct 7) Immaculate Heart of Mary George & Janet Hess (Nov 12) Queen of Peace Patrick Sr. & Georgia Hudson (Aug 20) Holy Ghost Rolla & Kathryn Kehrman (Aug 6) St. Mary (Littleton) Raymond & Georgia Kelsch (Oct 22) St. Anthony (Sterling) Thomas & Susan Koller (Dec 17) Immaculate Heart of Mary John & Patricia Krug (Sep 3) Christ on the Mountain Lester & Judith Lambert (Apr 30) Risen Christ Larry & Carol Lauer (Jan 29) St. Catherine (Iliff) Tom & Rosemarie Leyba (Dec 23) Holy Trinity Francisco & Bonnie Maes (Nov 12) All Saints Dennis James & Mary Frances Masel (Jun 4) St. Francis de Sales Jose & Frances Mondragon (Feb 16) Queen of Peace Thomas & Katherine Monheim (Jul 9) Light of the World Ron & Naomi Montoya (Sep 10) Notre Dame Henry & Nancy Mullin (Jan 8) Holy Cross Duane & Chita Newton (Mar 27) Immaculate Heart of Mary Joseph Tong & Anna Khuyen Nguyen (Jan 8) Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs James & Patricia Paull (Sep 17) Risen Christ Orlando & Viola Rodriguez (Nov 5) Sts. Peter and Paul Wilfred L. & Mary Ann Salz (Jun 11) Immaculate Heart of Mary Albert L. & Mary L. Santangelo (Apr 30) St. Jude Ted & Mary Schmalz (Jun 11) St. Frances Cabrini Leroy & Kathleen Schroder (Jun 18) St. Joan of Arc Richard K. & Nancy Thomas (May 28) Our Lady of the Pines Ambrose & Jane Trujillo (Oct 22) Immaculate Heart of Mary Bruce & Lucille Trull (Aug 6) St. Thomas More Salvador& Gloria Varela (Jun 4) Ascension Don & Toni Valdez (Oct 15) Holy Family (Fort Collins) Edgar & Julie White (Nov 17) St Mary (Littleton) Allen & Marilyn Whitman (Sep 10) Immaculate Heart of Mary Lowell & Mary Diane Whitney (Dec 26) St. Joan of Arc
51 Year Anniversary
Gene & Patricia Burrell (Nov 27) Risen Christ Ernest & Julia Gurule (Jun 12) Immaculate Heart of Mary Kenneth & Annette Moline (Sep 11) St. Mark Peter & Judith Smith (Aug 28) Holy Family (Fort Collins) Brian & Jeanne Thoms (Aug 28) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
52 Year Anniversary
Charles & Margaret Untiedt (Sep 12) St. Pius X
53 Year Anniversary
Richard & Virginia Aguirre (Apr 20) St. Joan of Arc Anthony & Shirley Francavilla (Jun 22) St. Joan of Arc Ralph & Joanne Hinkson (Apr 20) St. Augustine Romane & Charline Kaiser (Nov 16) Christ on the Mountain Ken & Pat Newman (Oct 5) Immaculate Heart of Mary Larry & Maria Schmit (Jan 26) Holy Trinity Jerry & Carol Starling (Sep 7) Immaculate Heart of Mary
54 Year Anniversary
George & Rosie Bruno (May 30) Immaculate Heart of Mary Gill & Audrey Duman (Sep 1) Spirit of Christ Dallas & Gladys Elder (Aug 5) St. Joan of Arc Loney & Toni Peralta (Jan 13) Notre Dame William & Leandra Snyder (Apr 28) St. Jude Tom & Maxine Vondersaar (Dec 15) Immaculate Heart of Mary
55 Year Anniversary
Michael &Patricia Baca (Jul 29) Good Shepherd Arthur & Beatrice Bedan (Sep 30) O.L. Mother of the Church Ronald & Roberta Langan (Nov 11) Our Lady of Lourdes Dominic & Genie Petrocco (May 13) Our Lady of the Valley Deacon Mickey & Beverly Webre (Feb 11) Christ on the Mountain
56 Year Anniversary
Byron & Joan Day (Jun 6) Immaculate Heart of Mary Stan & Marylu Moline (Oct 22) Queen of Peace John Hong Co Pham & Anna Mo Nguyen (Nov 6) Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Charles & Olivia Sena (Jun 12) Assumption
57 Year Anniversary
Cecil & Delores Dieatrick (Feb 7) Immaculate Heart of Mary Benito & Irene Duran (Nov 7) Cure d’Ars Ramon & Rafaela Fejarang (Jun 27) Holy Cross Walter & Patricia Hivner (Jun 27) Our Lady of the Valley Eugene & Carol L. Hogan (Aug 22) Queen of Peace Jack & Carolyn Horton (Apr 11) St. Joseph (Golden)
58 Year Anniversary
Raymond & Janice Pelster (Jun 7) Immaculate Heart of Mary Rex & Jane Portner (Nov 22) Assumption Walter & Rose Stonehocker (Apr 12) Immaculate Heart of Mary Loi Tran & Phu Doan (Jul 5) Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Tony & Elouise Valdez (Jun 17) St. Rose of Lima Lee & Virginia Durbin (Nov 15) St. Joseph (Golden) David & Ernestine Garcia (Feb 15) Immaculate Heart of Mary Edward & Delma Johnson (Aug 9) St. Theresa (Frederick) John & Catherine Kelly (Nov 4) Immaculate Heart of Mary Johann & Katharina Kula (Aug 9) St. Joan of Arc Edward & Alice Mally (Aug 2) St. Joan of Arc
59 Year Anniversary
Richard & Delores Brence (Nov 9) St. Mark
60 Year Anniversary
Ed & Dorothy Butler (Nov 16) Light of the World Don & Shirley Coscarella (Aug 4) Notre Dame Leroy & Shirley Engel (Nov 6) Holy Trinity Tomas & Albesa Garza (Aug 11) Our Lady of the Valley James & Joan Helfer Lefevre (Oct 13) Notre Dame Joseph Hao Nguyen & Maria Diem Doan (Jun 21) Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Ralph & Maurine Ziegler (Sep 11) St. Louis (Englewood)
61 Year Anniversary
Tony & Mary Ellen Aragon (Jan 22) Cathedral Owen & Leona Dignan (Oct 15) St. Mark (Westminster) Pat & Lucille Garcia (Nov 26) St. Mark (Westminster) Ramon & Virginia Quezada (Apr 20) Sacred Heart (Denver) Werner & Kethi Suess (Sept 3) Christ the King (Denver) Dudley & Jody Weiland (Sep 17) Shrine of St. Anne
62 Year Anniversary
Edward & Jill Fox (Jun 19) Immaculate Heart of Mary Jesus & Paula Hinojosa (Jul 29) Our Lady of the Valley Gerald & Loretta Kloberdanz (Oct 2) Immaculate Heart of Mary
63 Year Anniversary
Richard & Antoinette Domenico (Sep 27) Assumption Daniel & Ruth Flaherty (Sept 14) Holy Trinity
65 Year Anniversary
Charles & Teresa Sutter (Sept 22) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
66 Year Anniversary
Sam & Virginia Slater (Aug 4) All Souls
67 Year Anniversary
Ray & Ann Ksiazek (Nov 24) St. Joseph William & Betty Jo Paukovich (Oct 15) Notre Dame
68 Year Anniversary
Frank & Margaret Gill (Jan 25) Holy Name
69 Year Anniversary
John & Mary Marostica (Oct 4) St. Thomas More
70 Year Anniversary
Albert T. & Mary Ida Oliver (Apr 22) Immaculate Heart of Mary