Celebrating love that lasts at the Marriage Anniversaries Mass 2025
August 27, 2025
Liturgy, Bishop Brian Mascord
On Sunday 24 August 2025, couples from across the diocese gathered at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong, for the annual Marriage Anniversaries Mass, a beautiful celebration of love, faith, and lifelong commitment, celebrated by Bishop Brian Mascord.
Together, we honoured the sacred vocation of marriage — a covenant that reflects Christ’s faithful love for his Church. In the presence of family and friends, more than 60 couples marked milestone anniversaries ranging from 25 years (Silver) to an incredible 71 years (Platinum) of marriage. Each couple was presented with a candle by Bishop Brian, a symbol of their enduring love, the light of Christ in their union, and a renewed commitment to walk together in faith and grace.
As part of the liturgy, the couples stood to renew their vows, inviting God once again into the heart of their marriage. It was a profound moment of thanksgiving and grace—reminding us all that married love, sustained by the Spirit, is a witness to the Gospel in our world today.
Below is just a small selection of photos from the day. For those couples who attended, keep an eye out for an email from Helen Bennett (Office of the Bishop) with a private link to view and download all the photos, a gift from Bishop Brian to commemorate your special day. If you haven’t received Helen’s email (or if a family member is managing your email on your behalf), please reach out to her directly at [email protected].
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this celebration so special, from the choir and musicians, and clergy, to the wonderful team of volunteers. And most especially, to all the couples and their families who joined us. It truly is one of Bishop Brian’s favourite days of the year—and it’s not hard to see why.
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Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
On Sunday 24 August 2025, couples from across the diocese gathered at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong, for the annual Marriage Anniversaries Mass, a beautiful celebration of love, faith, and lifelong commitment, celebrated by Bishop Brian Mascord.
