Seventeen couples profess vows during joint wedding at St. Damien of Molokai

Pontiac — Seventeen brides plus 17 grooms equals one very special, albeit unique, day.

Amidst a congregation of friends and families, 17 couples entered in holy matrimony in the Catholic Church at St. Michael’s Church of St. Damien of Molokai Parish in Pontiac, starting their new life in faith with their spouses and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

The joint wedding, celebrated Aug. 27 by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and Auxiliary Bishop Arturo Cepeda, was the result of an effort by the Pontiac parish to encourage couples who were married outside the church or cohabiting outside of marriage and searching for that “perfect moment” to finally tie the knot.

On Saturday, that perfect moment finally came.



“It’s the Year of Mercy, and given that fact, we were looking for ways to express that mercy through holy matrimony,” said Fr. Jim Kean, pastor of St. Damien of Molokai. “We made a big effort in reaching out to couples who were looking to make a commitment.”

Fr. Kean said he initially expected seven or eight couples to participate — but was blown away when the number ended up being 17.

“Fr. Jake (VanAssche, associate pastor,) was inspired to do this, working together with couples during marriage prep, but this is a tremendous result,” Fr. Kean said. “Seeing (the couples) realize how beautiful this was going to be was just amazing. In rehearsal, you could see the excitement in their eyes.”

Archbishop Vigneron delivered the opening remarks of the ceremony, noting that it was a special day for the 17 couples about to be united in Christ, but also for the witnesses to the wedding.

“Today is a day of great important for the life of these couples in the Church, as they are joining together,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “But we too are blessed, to be here so that we may join them. We ask the Lord to bless these couples, so they may always be united in his salvation.”

As the couples sat together in a semi-circle surrounding the altar, Bishop Cepeda delivered the homily in English and Spanish, noting how people first said yes to God’s word through Jesus at the wedding at Cana.

“We’re celebrating the sacrament of love that each one of you as a couple are saying ‘yes’ to His will,” Bishop Cepeda said. “At Cana, Mary told the servants, ‘Go and do what He tells you.’ Today, you’re doing what God tells you to do.”



With the couples in a semi-circle around the altar, Archbishop Vigneron asked each pair one by one to declare their consent and intention to marry as well as to be faithful and open to the Church’s teachings on marriage. Later, the couples formed a processional line down the main aisle, approaching the archbishop one by one to profess their vows to one another before returning to their places. The archbishop then led all 17 couples in unison during the blessing and exchanging of rings.

To find the couples, the parish publicized the project during Masses and in bulletins, as well as using its own records to identify and contact parishioners who had children baptized or who registered at the same address under different last names.

Fr. Kean said about half of the couples married at St. Michael Church were already married civilly, but the celebration offered them the perfect impetus to join together in a sacramental bond.

“The couples that participated were looking for that moment to get married in the Church,” Fr. Kean said. “We did the same marriage prep process just like any other couple, but it was a bit more abbreviated; the workshop is different than with a younger couple getting married for the first time. Many of these couples have been together for 10 or 20 years.”

During his homily, Bishop Cepeda stressed the words of Pope Francis on matrimony, and how it distinguishes itself from a civil marriage ceremony.



“He said the sacrament isn’t an empty ritual or a mere outward sign. It’s a gift for the sanctification and salvation of the couple,” Bishop Cepeda said. “These couples are a witness to the salvation they share through the sacrament.”

Besides the unusual number of participants, the wedding was just like any other nuptial in the Church, with flowers, photographers and the usual pomp and circumstances when two people become one in the eyes of God.

Keeping the moment “special” for each and every couple was a top priority for the parish when planning the joint wedding, Fr. Kean said.

“They were really enthusiastic about the entire process, and the group had great chemistry. That’s where the preparation and retreat were focused, maintaining how important this was, and they found that out at the rehearsal,” Fr. Kean said. “Though they didn’t have their own special day, the day was special for them.”