Marriage is a cornerstone of life, society and the Church. And although the Holy Spirit is always with us, married life isn’t always easy. As Pope Francis wrote in a 2021 letter to married couples: 

Marriage, as a vocation, calls you to steer a tiny boat – wave-tossed yet sturdy, thanks to the reality of the sacrament – across a sometimes stormy sea. How often do you want to say, or better, cry out, like the apostles: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mk 4:38). Let us never forget, though, that by virtue of the sacrament of matrimony, Jesus is present in that boat; he is concerned for you and he remains at your side amid the tempest.

To affirm and support married couples, this weekend the Archdiocese of Toronto is celebrating its annual Marriage Sunday.

At St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, 91 couples who have been married for a collective 3,519 years will gather at to renew their marriage vows and reflect on the gift of love. Bishop Robert Kasun, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, will preside over the Mass that will honour couples marking 25, 40, 50 and 60+ years of marriage. The Mass will also be livestreamed on the St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica website: www.stmichaelscathedral.com.

If you visit the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Marriage Sunday website, you will find a number of helpful marriage resources for couples, parishes and who are widowed, separated or divorced. 

Every year Marriage Sunday is organized by the Office of Formation for Discipleship at the Archdiocese of Toronto and a number of marriage enrichment organizations active throughout the Greater Toronto Area.