The Archdiocese of Johannesburg will celebrate the gift of marriage in a special way on Saturday, 29 August 2026, when the Marriage and Family Desk hosts its first-ever Marriage Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King.
The celebration is expected to bring together couples, priests and marriage ministry workers from across the archdiocese for a day of thanksgiving. While many couples celebrate wedding anniversaries with a blessing from a priest at the end of Mass, the upcoming Eucharistic celebration marks the first time that the Archdiocese of Johannesburg is gathering couples at a diocesan level to celebrate the vocation of marriage collectively.
Mrs Nonisi Dlamini, who heads the Marriage and Family Desk says that this day is an opportunity to recognise the people who, often quietly and without recognition, have spent years building and strengthening marriage ministry in the archdiocese.
Mrs Rose Pasha, a facilitator of Mina Nawe: Together Forever at St Margaret’s Parish in Diepkloof, Soweto, and a member of the organising team, said the celebration would honour couples as well as those who have dedicated their lives to preparing and accompanying them. Mina Nawe is a marriage preparation programme that helps couples prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage and also accompanies couples who wish to have their marriages validated. Among those to be honoured at the Mass will be Ugogo Gemma Regina Kunene, one of the founders of Mina Nawe together with her late husband. Mrs Pashe recalled how Mrs Kunene and her husband opened their home to couples participating in the programme when it began in 1987. “Their house was a home for us,” she recalled, explaining how the couple’s children would sometimes sacrifice time with their parents over weekends so that the marriage ministry could accommodate participants. Pasha further says that honouring Kunene is therefore about acknowledging a legacy of service and sacrifice. She believes the celebration will allow Kunene and her family to see the fruits of the work they began decades ago. The Mass, presided over by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, the Archbishop of Johannesburg, will also recognise couples and individuals who have contributed significantly to the development of marriage ministry.
Celebrating the milestones and the journey
The organisers have invited two broad groups of couples to participate. The first are couples celebrating significant marriage milestones, particularly those who have been married for 20 years or more. The second group consists of couples who may not be celebrating a particular anniversary but wish to attend, witness the celebration and draw encouragement from other couples. Mrs Pasha said every couple should have an opportunity to celebrate their marriage, regardless of whether they are marking a major anniversary. “It is good for us to celebrate the Sacrament while we are still together, to enhance the relationship going forward,” she said.
She added that reaching another anniversary is ultimately an occasion for gratitude: “It is by God’s mercy that we are still together and we continue.” Couples celebrating 20 years and more will receive a special blessing from Cardinal Stephen Brislin. The organisers are encouraging couples who have not yet registered to do so, as arrangements for seating and personalised anniversary gifts depend on registration, which closes on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.
Building marriages, building families
Mrs Dlamini, who helped initiate the event, says that the Anniversary Mass is also part of a broader vision for the Marriage and Family Desk. She said the idea was inspired partly by a desire to introduce and promote the work of the department, but more importantly by a conviction that strong marriages are fundamental to strong families.
“Marriages are the cornerstone of family life,” she said. “So if we build marriages and we build sustainable and loving marriages, then the fruit of that is the labour that we’ll all enjoy.” She said society can sometimes take marriage and spouses for granted, making it important to deliberately create opportunities to celebrate the vocation. One conversation particularly stayed with her. A woman who was among the first to register for the event said that many marriages have grown cold, and that this would be an opportunity to spark the fire in their homes. She said that although couples are often blessed on their anniversaries at parish level, she had not experienced a diocesan celebration dedicated specifically to the anniversary of marriage. The Mass therefore offers an opportunity for the Catholic community to gather, break bread and give thanks for the gift of marriage.
A ministry for every stage of family life
The Marriage and Family ministry is not limited to preparing couples for their wedding day. Its work includes marriage preparation, marriage enrichment and healing marriages, particularly supporting couples whose relationships are experiencing difficulties and need a lifeline. The ministry also offers life-skills programmes, grief counselling, therapeutic programmes, spiritual and educational resources, as well as parenting programmes. Its work extends to young people as well, helping parents accompany their children and prepare them for their future vocation and, where appropriate, the Sacrament of Marriage. This broad approach reflects the Church’s understanding that marriage ministry does not begin on the wedding day and does not end at the altar. Couples need formation, accompaniment, support and opportunities to grow throughout their married lives.
A growing celebration
Interest in the inaugural Mass has been growing rapidly. Although registration was initially slow, the organisers have seen a significant increase in numbers as the celebration approaches. About 75 couples had registered at the time of the organisers’ latest update, with expectations that between 250 and 300 people could attend. Because of the preparations required, including seating and personalised gifts, the organisers have warned that it may be difficult to accommodate walk-ins. Couples who register late and are celebrating a significant milestone may still participate, although their personalised gifts may have to be collected afterwards. The celebration will also bring together clergy and marriage ministry representatives from beyond the archdiocese. Among those expected is Father Dr Tjamela Dikotsi Mofokeng, the Coordinating Secretary for the Department of Formation, Life and Apostolate of the Laity at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), representing the coordinating bishop, Bishop Elias Zondi.
Also expected is Father Nkosinathi Nkabinde, Vicar for Marriage and Family in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, together with other coordinating priests from the archdiocese. The keynote address will be delivered by Mr and Mrs Sam and Mpho Mathe, a married couple representing the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pretoria within the SACBC’s marriage and family ministry. For the organisers, the inaugural Marriage Anniversary Mass is ultimately an invitation to recognise something that can easily be overlooked: the grace and commitment involved in building a life together. It is a celebration not only of the years that couples have already shared, but also of the promise to continue walking together. By bringing couples together as a diocesan family, the Archdiocese of Johannesburg hopes to make marriage visible as a vocation worthy of celebration, accompaniment and prayer.
To register, please visit the link:
Couple Registration link:
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