200 Married Couples Renew Their Vows Together In North Jersey [WATCH]

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Love, support and forgiveness. These are some of the bedrocks of a successful marriage, according to hundreds of North Jersey couples, who recently celebrated their unions at a special Mass in Essex County.

A total of 209 couples celebrating five, 25, 50 and more than 60 years of marriage – including four marking nearly 70 years together – received a blessing from Cardinal Joseph Tobin last month at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.

During ceremony – hosted by the Archdiocese of Newark – couples held each other’s wedding rings and renewed their marriage vows.

“May your homes always be a place of peace,” Tobin told attendees, meeting with each couple to congratulate them on their personal milestones.

Watch video footage of the Mass here, or view it below.

The moment was an emotional experience for some couples, such as Peter and Irma Cantilina, who marked 68 years of marriage.

“If it wasn’t for the Catholic Church, we would not be here,” said Peter Cantilina. “Our faith keeps us together. We’ve lost three children, but we know they’re with God. And we never miss Mass or anything that happens at church.”

The Wedding Anniversary Mass was organized by the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office for Family Life Ministry, which supports families through ministry, educational programming and spiritual initiatives.

The Archdiocese of Newark serves 1.3 million Catholic residents in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

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