Anniversary Blessing

[pheathers]

Today my husband and I attended our 25th Wedding Anniversary Blessing. It was held in a Cathedral. The Gospel was read and everything seemed to me that a Mass was taking place. As we were in the moment of this very meaningful time in our lives I realize that it wouldn’t be a Mass but a Blessing. Well I was upset to say the least. It was really my fault. I made an assumption instead of checking it out.

We were so very happy and proud. Good proud. We had invited our children and other family members. They had asked if it would be a mass, I really thought that it would be so I said of course.

WELL, IT WASN’T A MASS!!!

I told my family that now they have to go to confession. My son disagreed by saying he didn’t miss mass on purpose. We all thought we’d be at Mass. What is true and not true? Please help.

 

[John_Lilburne]

The Book of Blesssings has a blessing for married couples which can take place as part of Mass or not.

It has in the introduction:
“90 A major wedding anniversary, for example, the 25th, 50th or 60th, is a fitting occasion for a special remembrance of the sacrament of marriage by means of the celebration of the proper Mass and prayers provided in the Roman Missal. [footnote 4 See Roman Missal, Ritual Masses: Wedding Mass, 2. The Anniversaries of Marriage.”
(Book of Blessings, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1875-8, page 20).

A problem is that there are restrictions on when a Ritual Mass can be used. From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from RomanRite - Translation of General Instruction :
“372. Ritual Masses are connected to the celebration of certain Sacraments or Sacramentals. They are prohibited on Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, on solemnities, on the days within the Octave of Easter, on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day), on Ash Wednesday, and during Holy Week, taking due account of the norms given in the ritual books or in the Masses themselves.”

So on a Sunday of Easter the Ritual Mass is not allowed. Can there be the renewal of vows, without using the ritual Mass? I am not aware of an answer spellig this out in the liturgical books. But perhaps someone at the cathedral was worried that it was not permitted, so the blessing as part of a Celebration of the Word of God was chosen.