On St. Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2026, Bishop Frank J. Dewane offered blessings to hundreds of couples who serve as witnesses to the definition and relevance of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in a modern world.
In celebration of that commitment, each year Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites couples married 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50+ years to a Mass in their honor as witnesses to a beautiful vocation. The first of two such Masses to be held in 2026 was Feb. 14, at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs. There were 340 couples present, representing a combined 17,340 years of marriage.
“What a beautiful sight I have before me,” Bishop Dewane said. “You live out the Sacrament of Marriage – day after day, sacrifice after sacrifice – in a time where the very definition is challenged and the relevance questioned. I congratulate each of you here, because of the example you give, in who you are, and the commitment you made by living out the Sacrament. The example is viewed by your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, and society at large.”
Bishop Dewane explained how younger people often consider marriage as something that is illogical, but he added how love isn’t logical but is an example of the Lord working miracles.
“When you live out your faith – one for the other – it has nothing to do with logic. You live your life together by the graces the Lord gives,” Bishop Dewane said. “It takes effort on part of both in the marriage to make it work and oftentimes it is the instruments of the Lord working miracles here on earth. You, as a couple, are a witness of married life, to the Christian life you chose to live and freely entered.”
The Bishop said Pope Leo XIV described marriage not as an ideal, but that the measure of true love between a man and a woman is a love that is totally faithful and fruitful. That love enables the other to become more. Pope Francis also described married couples as icons, seeing the beauty in the pair that grows by the lives they live by knowing the Lord, and most importantly letting the Lord know them.
The 340 couples present represented 34 Parishes and included 47 couples that have been married 50 years. There were six couples present who were married 70 years or more. The longest marriage by couples present was 75 years, Bud and Janet Phillimore of St. Leo the Great Parish, who celebrate their anniversary on April 7. In addition, seven couples celebrated their anniversary on the day of the Mass.
Bud and Janet Phillimore met at a football game while Bud was attending Loris College in Dubuque, Iowa. Together they raised two children, a son and a daughter. They have four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. The couple’s advice to young couples starting out is: “Even if you’ve had an argument, never go to sleep without professing your love for each other and your willingness to work the issue out.”
A couple married 53 years from St. Raphael Parish in Lehigh Acres who met while living in the same apartment building in Washington, D.C., said their formula for a successful marriage was compromise, commitment, communications, and compassion.
Steven & Violet Hvasta, of St. William Parish in Naples, who will celebrate 72 years of marriage on June 12, met in high school in New Jersey when he noticed her while practicing football as she was pushing a stroller nearby while babysitting. They have four daughters, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Their key to a successful marriage was “developing the art of compromise.” In addition, Violet said, “God always comes first in our marriage. We pray together every day. We go to church together. It is about letting God be at the center of who we are. We tried to pass that along to our daughters and grandchildren.”
During the Diocesan Mass, the married couples renewed their wedding vows. In addition, each couple was presented a commemorative certificate, signed by the Bishop, for their enduring commitment to marriage.
Following the Mass, lunch was served in the Parish Center and there was the opportunity to have complimentary pictures taken with the Bishop. At the luncheon, many couples remarked about how wonderful it is to have their lasting marriage recognized.
Coordinated by the Diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life, the Masses are celebrated each year in the northern and southern sections of the Diocese of Venice so as to accommodate the large numbers of couples wishing to attend. The second Mass is at 11 a.m., March 14, at St. Thomas More Parish, 2506 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota. A luncheon follows each Mass. If you would like to attend, registration is through the Parishes, but walk-ins are welcome.
