July 18, 2010 From the archives…
Word came to me that George and Alice were to celebrate their sixty-sixth anniversary of marriage. He resides at Meadow Wood, she in the adjoining St. Joseph Care Center.
They were waiting for my visit in her room. Alice wore a lovely white silk blouse. “Father,” he told me, “Alice and I have been at Mass on every anniversary we’ve ever had. Just couldn’t do it this year. Alice can’t leave here anymore. She’s too weak. We have Mass at the nursing home three times a week; but it doesn’t land on our anniversary. Good of you to come.” I had heard from my source that they would miss Mass for the first time on this anniversary. So, I brought communion with me during my visit. They were delighted.
After communion I asked them to tell me about their wedding. “What church was it in?” “Well, Father, I can’t really tell you. It was in Racine. That’s her home. It was a Bohemian church, but I can’t remember the name of it.” “Then, did you have a reception?” I asked. “Boy, did we ever. She’s got loads of relatives. Her folks both died young, before the wedding. But she’s got loads of cousins. So, we went out to the farm. It was a sunny day. We had chicken and beef; we had jellos every color of the rainbow. Mashed potatoes too.” “Did you have a wedding cake sixty-six years ago?” “Oh, did we ever,” she answered. “In fact, we had lots of cakes there. It was a great party.”
George went on. “Just before you came in I was telling Alice about our four children, our eight grandchildren, and our four great-grandchildren!” Tears were streaming down Alice’s face now. “She’s okay, Father. You know how it is; some people cry when they’re happy. That’s the way Alice is.” His hand rested on her knee. A smile of wreathes lay beneath the veil of her tears. She was happy.
“You know, Father,” our wedding was in 1934, right after Prohibition was lifted. We had some whiskey. Hadn’t had much before that! No, not too much. But we had a bottle. You know what, Father. We kept a bottle from our wedding, and every year Alice and I would take about a half a shot from that bottle to celebrate our anniversary. Well, it’s been gone now for many years.”
This couple is still very much in love. They knew how to celebrate their anniversary. The whiskey ran out. God’s love in the Eucharist never has; never will.