Who do you know in family or social circles that has been married longer than 50 years, maybe 60, perhaps even 70? Well the search is on to find Ontario's longest married couple.
The initiative comes from Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), a lay movement with a presence in nearly 100 countries, making it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. WWME has been offering weekend enrichment experiences for more than 44 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. In the Archdiocese of Toronto, weekends are offered in english, french, spanish and korean. You can learn more about WWME and find information on their upcoming weekends through their website here.
WWME recognizes the challenges that come with married life, offering couples a chance to step away from the hectic day to day pace, spend time together and provide them with the tools to build and maintain a strong Christian marriage.
If you know someone, regardless of their religious affiliation, who you'd like to nominate for the contest, it's a pretty simple process:
Nominations can be sent to lmc-on@rogers.com or by mail to: LMC ON, 725 College St. P.O. Box 31005, College Square, Toronto ON M6G 4A7. Be sure to include the names of husband and wife, wedding date, current residence, and contact address of person nominating them.
If you have questions about the contest, you can contact 416-964-8694 (English), 905-503-0177 (Spanish), 416-226-2848 (Korean). Submissions were originally due Jan.10 but the deadline has been extended to the end of January. Winners will be announced in Ontario in early February, to coincide with Marriage Sunday, February 10, 2013 in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Many other dioceses across the province and country also have special marriage recognition celebrations to highlight and give thanks for those who have said yes to the sacrament.
The Canadian initiative follows a similar American WWME search, which in 2011 identified a couple from New Mexico married 82 years. Ontario winners will then have their names presented as part of a national search across Canada. The winners will be formally recognized by WWME and will, no doubt, be subject to some media coverage to offer "pearls of wisdom" to newlyweds and other married couples alike.
In church circles, the word "vocation" is used an awful lot. For our purposes, it often refers to those who have been called to a religious vocation, perhaps to the priesthood, permanent diaconate, as a religious sister or brother or those who may be called to consecrated life. Yet we can't forget the many who have been called to the vocation of "single life" while others commit themselves to a lifelong covenant through the vocation of marriage. Each vocation plays an important role in strengthening our faith community!
So this WWME initiative is an ideal way to highlight a particular vocation - the sacrament of marriage, and affirm those who have worked hard to maintain a lifelong relationship, through the ups and downs and all points in between.
Whether it's Aunt Mary and Uncle Paul, the neighbours down the road or grandparents who have inspired you through their example, consider nominating someone you know. It's a chance for all of us to say thanks and to remind each other that while not easy, the matrimonial journey provides countless blessed moments, new family experiences and the opportunity to walk together and support one another, whatever life may throw at us.
Consider nominating a couple you know. It's an ideal way to say thank you for their "I Do"!