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For the last twelve years, the Diocese has celebrated the vocation of marriage by hosting a special Marriage Anniversaries Mass. The sense of a 'calling' to marriage and family life can be overlooked in the heady early days of romance, but the vocation is truly God given.

The Catholic Church views marriage and the family as a sacred unit - it is God’s way of providing stability for the family - as reflected in the Holy Family (Our Lady, St Joseph and Jesus). Through marriage, the family can grow into the Domestic Church; the little 'church at home' where faith can be nurtured and passed along the generations. Marriage also stands as a powerful witness of the love that Christ has for his Church, a sacrificial, unbreakable bond that has God at its centre.

The location of the Anniversaries Mass alternates between Arundel Cathedral and parish churches across the Diocese. Rather than celebrate a particular anniversary milestone, the Marriage Anniversaries Mass with Bishop Richard, celebrates anniversaries which are special to each individual couple, as well as the wonder of the vocation itself. Speaking about the Mass, our Marriage and Family Life Adviser Katherine Bergin said:

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"We have had people celebrating a whole variety of dates, alongside the more traditional milestones. Each celebration is the most joyous event - it is wonderful when you see a church filled with couples celebrating the love the have for each other, rooted in the knowledge that God is with them in their relationship."  

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This year's Mass will be held on Saturday 30 September at 11.30am at Our Lady of Ransom in Eastbourne and will be followed by a small drinks reception with Bishop Richard. If you have not been before please do join us, if you have been before, come again, there is always a reason to celebrate! Click on the button below to register your free place or contact

E: formation@abdiocese.org.uk.

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