Longtime married couples honored at annual Anniversary Mass

In what has become a treasured tradition of the Archdiocese of Denver, over 130 married couples gathered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Northglenn for the annual Anniversary Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila.

The couples present at the Mass represented a wide range of 25 to 70 years of being married, and were given the chance to renew their wedding vows. Archbishop Aquila commended each couple for their witness to the sacrament of marriage.

“I’m certain for all of you, that you have had your moments of suffering and trials in the midst of the joy,” Archbishop Aquila told them. But that joy comes because you have remained faithful. That is a great witness to the world today. You stand as a sign of what marriage is to be about and contradiction to the ways of the world.”

Denver Catholic photographer Andrew Wright was there to capture the heartwarming occasion.

Those celebrating anniversaries include:

25 Year Anniversary

Donald & Linda Enloe (Jun 29)   St. Thomas More
Michael & Annetta Gallegos (Jun 29)   Immaculate Heart of Mary
Samuel & Teresa Gomez (Oct 12)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Chris & Susan Kingsley (Jun 29)  St. Francis of Assisi
Tony & Paula Lopez (Aug 17)  St. Thomas More
Steve & Cheri Lutton (Jun 29)  Sacred Heart of Jesus
KC & Mary Matthews (Aug 31)  Cure d’Ars
Bud & Veronica McArthur (Nov 30)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Philip Lloyd McMahon & Mary Ann Peters (Sep 14)  Sacred Heart of Jesus
Kenneth & Tammy Montoya (Aug 17) Immaculate Heart of Mary
Clark & Tina Musser (Jul 13)  Holy Cross
Terry & Stacy Nichols (Aug 24)  Sacred Heart of Mary
Larry & Dawn O’Connor (Dec 7)  St. Joan of Arc
Antonio & Susanna Saurini (Oct 20)  Notre Dame
James & Jennifer Sharn (Jul 19)  St. Joan of Arc
Greg & Rebecca Sopkin (Aug 10)  Sts. Peter and Paul
Dennis & Cecelia Sponable (Sep 14)  Sts. Peter and Paul
Kevin & Heather Vasina (Oct 20)   St. Joan of Arc
James & Carmen Whitfield (Sep 28)  St. Joan of Arc

50 Year Anniversary

Tony & Cathy Abeyta (Nov 26)  St. Augustine
Philip & Ursula Awad (Sep 3)  St. Frances Cabrini
Douglas & Carol DeJong Biegger (Sep 10)  St. John the Evangelist (Lvld)
Jim & Susan Carabajal (Jun 18)   Sts. Peter and Paul
Deacon Ross & Olga Cassados (Jul 9)  Holy Trinity
Trinidad Chacon & Carlota Baca (Jan 9)  Santa Teresa
Edward & Janet Comfort (Nov 12)  St. Michael the Archangel
Gary & Janice Fields (Sep 17)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Charles & Ann Firby (Oct 7)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
George & Janet Hess (Nov 12)  Queen of Peace
Patrick Sr. & Georgia Hudson (Aug 20)  Holy Ghost
Rolla & Kathryn Kehrman (Aug 6)  St. Mary (Littleton)
Raymond & Georgia Kelsch (Oct 22)  St. Anthony (Sterling)
Thomas & Susan Koller (Dec 17)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
John & Patricia Krug (Sep 3)  Christ on the Mountain
Lester & Judith Lambert (Apr 30)  Risen Christ
Larry & Carol Lauer (Jan 29)  St. Catherine (Iliff)
Tom & Rosemarie Leyba (Dec 23)  Holy Trinity
Francisco & Bonnie Maes (Nov 12)  All Saints
Dennis James & Mary Frances Masel (Jun 4)   St. Francis de Sales
Jose & Frances Mondragon (Feb 16)  Queen of Peace
Thomas & Katherine Monheim (Jul 9)  Light of the World
Ron & Naomi Montoya (Sep 10)  Notre Dame
Henry & Nancy Mullin (Jan 8)  Holy Cross
Duane & Chita Newton (Mar 27)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Joseph Tong & Anna Khuyen Nguyen (Jan 8)  Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs
James & Patricia Paull (Sep 17)  Risen Christ
Orlando & Viola Rodriguez (Nov 5)  Sts. Peter and Paul
Wilfred L. & Mary Ann Salz (Jun 11)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Albert L. & Mary L. Santangelo (Apr 30)  St. Jude
Ted & Mary Schmalz (Jun 11)  St. Frances Cabrini
Leroy & Kathleen Schroder (Jun 18)  St. Joan of Arc
Richard K. & Nancy Thomas (May 28)  Our Lady of the Pines
Ambrose & Jane Trujillo (Oct 22)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Bruce & Lucille Trull (Aug 6)  St. Thomas More
Salvador& Gloria Varela (Jun 4)  Ascension
Don & Toni Valdez (Oct 15)  Holy Family (Fort Collins)
Edgar & Julie White (Nov 17)  St Mary (Littleton)
Allen & Marilyn Whitman (Sep 10)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Lowell & Mary Diane Whitney (Dec 26)  St. Joan of Arc

51 Year Anniversary

Gene & Patricia Burrell (Nov 27)   Risen Christ
Ernest & Julia Gurule (Jun 12)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Kenneth & Annette Moline (Sep 11)   St. Mark
Peter & Judith Smith (Aug 28)  Holy Family (Fort Collins)
Brian & Jeanne Thoms (Aug 28)  St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

52 Year Anniversary

Charles & Margaret Untiedt (Sep 12)  St. Pius X

53 Year Anniversary

Richard & Virginia Aguirre (Apr 20)   St. Joan of Arc
Anthony & Shirley Francavilla (Jun 22)  St. Joan of Arc
Ralph & Joanne Hinkson (Apr 20)  St. Augustine
Romane & Charline Kaiser (Nov 16)  Christ on the Mountain
Ken & Pat Newman (Oct 5)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Larry & Maria Schmit (Jan 26)  Holy Trinity
Jerry & Carol Starling (Sep 7)  Immaculate Heart of Mary

54 Year Anniversary

George & Rosie Bruno (May 30)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Gill & Audrey Duman (Sep 1)  Spirit of Christ
Dallas & Gladys Elder (Aug 5)  St. Joan of Arc
Loney & Toni Peralta (Jan 13)  Notre Dame
William & Leandra Snyder (Apr 28)  St. Jude
Tom & Maxine Vondersaar (Dec 15)  Immaculate Heart of Mary

55 Year Anniversary

Michael &Patricia Baca (Jul 29)  Good Shepherd
Arthur & Beatrice Bedan (Sep 30)  O.L. Mother of the Church
Ronald & Roberta Langan (Nov 11)  Our Lady of Lourdes
Dominic & Genie Petrocco (May 13)  Our Lady of the Valley
Deacon Mickey & Beverly Webre (Feb 11)  Christ on the Mountain

56 Year Anniversary

Byron & Joan Day (Jun 6)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Stan & Marylu Moline (Oct 22)  Queen of Peace
John Hong Co Pham & Anna Mo Nguyen (Nov 6)  Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs
Charles  & Olivia Sena (Jun 12)  Assumption

57 Year Anniversary

Cecil & Delores Dieatrick (Feb 7)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Benito & Irene Duran (Nov 7) Cure d’Ars
Ramon & Rafaela Fejarang (Jun 27)  Holy Cross
Walter & Patricia Hivner (Jun 27)  Our Lady of the Valley
Eugene & Carol L. Hogan (Aug 22)  Queen of Peace
Jack & Carolyn Horton (Apr 11) St. Joseph (Golden)

58 Year Anniversary

Raymond & Janice Pelster (Jun 7)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Rex & Jane Portner (Nov 22)  Assumption
Walter & Rose Stonehocker (Apr 12)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Loi Tran & Phu Doan (Jul 5)  Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs
Tony & Elouise Valdez (Jun 17)  St. Rose of Lima
Lee & Virginia Durbin (Nov 15)  St. Joseph (Golden)
David & Ernestine Garcia (Feb 15)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Edward & Delma Johnson (Aug 9) St. Theresa (Frederick)
John & Catherine Kelly (Nov 4)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Johann & Katharina Kula (Aug 9)  St. Joan of Arc
Edward & Alice Mally (Aug 2)  St. Joan of Arc

59 Year Anniversary

Richard & Delores Brence (Nov 9)  St. Mark

60 Year Anniversary

Ed & Dorothy Butler (Nov 16)  Light of the World
Don & Shirley Coscarella (Aug 4)  Notre Dame
Leroy & Shirley Engel (Nov 6) Holy Trinity
Tomas & Albesa Garza (Aug 11)  Our Lady of the Valley
James & Joan Helfer Lefevre (Oct 13)  Notre Dame
Joseph Hao Nguyen & Maria Diem Doan (Jun 21)  Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs
Ralph & Maurine Ziegler (Sep 11)  St. Louis (Englewood)

61 Year Anniversary

Tony & Mary Ellen Aragon (Jan 22)  Cathedral
Owen & Leona Dignan (Oct 15)  St. Mark (Westminster)
Pat & Lucille Garcia (Nov 26)  St. Mark (Westminster)
Ramon & Virginia Quezada (Apr 20)  Sacred Heart (Denver)
Werner & Kethi Suess (Sept 3)  Christ the King (Denver)
Dudley & Jody Weiland (Sep 17)  Shrine of St. Anne

62 Year Anniversary

Edward & Jill Fox (Jun 19)  Immaculate Heart of Mary
Jesus & Paula Hinojosa (Jul 29) Our Lady of the Valley
Gerald & Loretta Kloberdanz (Oct 2)  Immaculate Heart of Mary

63 Year Anniversary

Richard & Antoinette Domenico (Sep 27)  Assumption
Daniel & Ruth Flaherty (Sept 14)  Holy Trinity

65 Year Anniversary

Charles & Teresa Sutter (Sept 22)  St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

66 Year Anniversary

Sam & Virginia Slater (Aug 4)  All Souls

67 Year Anniversary

Ray & Ann Ksiazek (Nov 24)   St. Joseph
William & Betty Jo Paukovich (Oct 15)  Notre Dame

68 Year Anniversary

Frank & Margaret Gill (Jan 25)  Holy Name

69 Year Anniversary

John & Mary Marostica (Oct 4)  St. Thomas More

70 Year Anniversary

Albert T. & Mary Ida Oliver (Apr 22)  Immaculate Heart of Mary