By Tony DeGol
Proclaim!
Gene and Marilyn Myers, members of Saint Demetrius Parish in Gallitzin, have been sweethearts since they met at age 16.
“I always say I chased him until he caught me, and the best thing that God ever did was match us up together,” Marilyn said. “We got married in a church with family and friends and we never stopped going to Church.”
After 55 years of marriage, the love affair is still going strong and rooted in Christ.
Besides staying connected to their Catholic faith, what else is the secret to their success?
“We always knew there was no such thing as ‘his work’ or ‘her work,’ it was always ‘our work’ whether it was outside working on a car, putting on a roof, washing dishes, or doing laundry, we always shared what we were doing,” Marilyn added. “It was always part of our life and still is.”
Meanwhile, Greg and Jennifer Brauser, members of Good Shepherd Parish in Port Matilda, are celebrating their silver anniversary.
They appreciate the Catholic Church accompanying them in their marriage over the past 25 years.
“State College is a smaller big community, so we’ve had personal connections with several priests, and in some of the more trying times in our lives, having that connection and being able to talk one on one was very key,” Greg assured.
The Myers and the Brausers were among the dozens of husbands and wives who gathered for the annual Wedding Anniversary Liturgies sponsored by the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Family Life Office on September 8 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona and on September 15 at Saint John Gualbert Cathedral in Johnstown.
Couples marking milestone wedding anniversaries this calendar year were invited to register for the Mass.
In his homily message, Bishop Mark offered his prayerful support to the couples, and he reminded that the Lord must be a silent partner in any marriage.
“Thank you for being witnesses of God’s merciful love, for being the salt of the earth, for sharing the kind of light the world needs in our day,” the Bishop stated. “It is a light the never goes out if God is invited into the relationship and into the Sacrament of Marriage. The Lord knows that our human relationships are not perfect, but we are getting closer to that perfection when spouses recognize that the Lord is always, always, always near to them.”
As part of the Mass, the anniversary couples had the opportunity to renew their sacramental commitment to each other, and each couple that registered was acknowledged.
This year, about 120 couples signed up for the Masses, with the most senior couple marking 80 years of marriage.
For all of the husbands and wives, the Masses were a chance to look back on how far they have come, and to look forward to where they’re going, but above all, an opportunity to give thanks to God for always being with them on the journey.
“You have to have faith and something bigger, and God is someone who we can turn to,” commented Jennifer Brauser. “I certainly don’t consider us experts, and we have a long way to go, but today felt so good to be here.”
[Photos: (Top) Gene and Marilyn Myers with Bishop Mark; (Inset) Greg and Jennifer Brauser with the Bishop.]
