25th wedding anniversary, how?

[Mimi1991]

Good evening,
I’m from a latinamerican country and Im going to travel to USA with my family for my parents 25th wedding anniversary. As It is call here It would be their “bodas de plata” (silver wedding), and they would like to have a ceremony in which they can reaffirm their vows and bless their marriage and wedding rings. Im wondering if this could be done? How is this ceremony called (it is call in my country “renovacion de votos” but I have seen vows renewals are not done by roman catholic in US)? Can I request it to be done as a small and private one? Does it have to be in the church or it can be in another venue (like the queen mary in long beach for example)?And which city is the best option to have it done in spanish? We are going to miami, los angeles and vegas…
Im truly confused as although we are catholics (roman) it seems to be a bit different, for example we only have 1 catholic religion (roman) and the other religions are called christian or other denomination religions. Also as we are trying to arrange everything from long distance everything just seems confusing and difficult…

In advance, thank you very much for every response:thumbsup:

 

[Chatter163]

The renewal of vows for the 25th and 50th anniversary is very common in the USA. Typically, a votive Mass for spouses is celebrated, or the Mass of the day, and after the homily, the couple comes forward and renews their vows. Often this is done at a regularly-scheduled weekday or Saturday Mass, especially in smaller parishes. Other times a special Mass is arranged with the priest, and then it is done at another time. They are usually fairly simple, and not large functions.

You say that you are traveling with your family for your parents’ anniversary. If your parents live in the USA, they should arrange with their priest to have the Mass. Whether or not the priest feels comfortable doing it in Spanish is another question. Most dioceses have Spanish-speaking priests, and some have many, but I would think that your Spanish-speaking parents would already have cultivated a relationship with such a priest. If you parents do not live in the USA, then there would not really be a reason to arrange such a Mass here, as the Church does not usually do “destination” vacation weddings, as that would more properly be done at one’s own parish.

 

[mountee]

In our archdiocese there is a formal ceremony for all couples celebrating their 50th anniversary at the cathedral downtown each year. In addition, the parish I am in celebrates anniversary milestones in group masses several times each year. Renewal of vows is very common and I do not think you will have any issues in arranging something for your parents. Write their parish as early as you can and if they can not accommodate you write the archdiocese.

 

[MJJean]

I think you should contact priests in Miami or Los Angeles from parishes close to where you will be staying and simply ask. Those cities have high Spanish speaking populations so it makes sense priests there would speak Spanish as a first or second language. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a helpful priest to answer your questions. And call more than one priest as each parish does things a bit differently. By calling more than one priest you may end up with a variety of options to choose from.

I suggest calling around as soon as possible. Sometimes it takes a few days to get a response as priests are usually very busy. Check the archdiocese websites for those cities for a list of parishes and contact information.

I wish you and your family a lovely vacation. Happy Anniversary to your parents! 25 years!
:clapping::clapping: