Pure Gold: 150 Couples From NJ Celebrate 50 Years Of Marriage

NEWARK, NJ — Dozens of couples from Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties recently celebrated their 50th year of marriage at an uplifting golden anniversary Mass in North Jersey.

During an afternoon filled with “celebration, love and joy” last week, the Archbishop of Newark, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, blessed more than 150 couples who have achieved 50 years of marriage at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.

Husbands and wives from throughout the Archdiocese of Newark — some women wearing their wedding veils — held each other’s rings and renewed their commitments to each other. Tobin spoke with each couple following the Mass, listening to their reflections and congratulating them on their half-century of marriage.

The golden anniversary Mass is a celebration of the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office for Family Life Ministry. This year’s event was the first time the Mass has been held since the coronavirus pandemic began.

See photos from the ceremony in the above gallery.

Among the celebrants were Bob Wischusen, 74, and Anne Wischusen, 73, of Garwood, who spoke about the secret to their long-lived marriage in a video (watch below).

As the archdiocese reported:

“According to Anne, it’s essential to do things together, but it’s also important to have other interests you can call your own. For example, Anne gardens and Bob plays golf and is a faithful participant in the activities of their nine grandchildren.”

“I never really worried about our relationship deteriorating,” Bob Wischusen said. “I just knew that together we could deal with anything, so we’re very, very lucky. And I tell my children that too – how lucky we are.”

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