Marriage is a vocation and involves a call from God and a response from two people who promise to build a sacrament of life and love.
The vocation to marriage is a call to a life of holiness and service within a couple’s own relationship and in their family.
The Vocations Office asked Kevin and Kate Jennings, who recently celebrated a significant 55 year anniversary – about their journey in the vocation of marriage.
Their story started in unlikely circumstances that blossomed into a lifelong partnership.
Kevin’s Journey: Shaped by Faith and Family
Kevin’s life began in the small wheatbelt town of Lake Grace, where his devout mother instilled in him a strong Catholic faith from a young age.
He recalls a life deeply intertwined with the Church. Every month the local parish priest, Fr O’Mahony paid a visit to the family.
This early exposure fostered a deep sense of closeness to the priesthood, leading him to enter St Charles Seminary at the age of 14.
After five years Kevin discerned that the priesthood was not his vocation and he travelled around Australia, eventually getting a job at a bank in Esperance.
It was there, at a Football Club Cabaret, that he met a young newcomer from Melbourne named Kate.
Kevin, then 26, was immediately drawn to her kind spirit and similar values including her Catholic faith.
He asked her out and within nine months, they were married.
Kate’s Journey: Resilience and a New Beginning
Kate’s early life was marked by challenges. Her mother passed away when she was just three, and she was sent to a Catholic boarding school with the Sisters of Mercy.
This upbringing, though challenging, fostered within her a spirit of independence and tenacity.
At 18, she moved to Esperance to work as a nanny where her life intersected with Kevin’s, with whom they settled down and start a family.
For Kate, the decision to marry Kevin was a straightforward one.
She wasn’t looking for a fairytale romance but a shared life together in faith to raise a family in.
“We understood each other, that we were ready to settle down with the same goal, to marry and begin a family,” she said.
A shared Catholic faith provided a solid foundation for their shared ideals.
A Vocation Chosen Together
Both Kevin and Kate believe that their marriage was a natural and right path for them.
For Kevin, the seminary years provided a solid grounding in the faith and a deep understanding of the Church’s teachings, which proved invaluable in his married life.
For Kate, there was no single moment of doubt; their relationship simply felt right from the start.
Together they embraced family life with all its joys and challenges, raising four children and actively participating in their parish and school communities such as St Vincent de Paul Society, Magellan Group and on school and parish boards.
“All of this was the glue that has bound our relationship.” Kate said.
She dedicated herself to being a stay-at-home mother, and both were deeply involved in their children’s lives.
Kevin’s busy seven-day work week was a testament to his commitment to providing for his family, a total commitment that Kate fully supported.
“Our Catholic faith has been the foundation of our life together,” Kevin shared.
What makes a successful marriage? Kate believes “that love and respect are the main ingredients.”
They’ve learned to navigate challenges by being “open and honest, sharing and caring,” and always making time to listen to one another.
Advice for Those Discerning Marriage
As they reflect on their 55 years together, both Kevin and Kate shared their insights as to the challenges they see facing modern marriages, noting what they see as perhaps a lack of experience and pressures of a throw-away society.
“Young people [can] rush into relationships…and as it is a disposable world, when things go wrong, they [don’t have the] strength…to talk about the problems and work it out,” Kate said.
She advises couples to be open and honest, to share and care for one another, and to always listen without criticism.
Both believe that when things go wrong, couples need strength-together when working out problems, rather than treating their relationship as disposable. They advise never going to sleep on an argument and being prepared to admit fault and say “sorry with intent.”
Kevin and Kate’s life together is also built on mutual sacrifice. They highlight that their generation prioritised family and commitment over personal gratification, a mindset they believe is essential for a lasting marriage.
Importantly, “Faith”, says Kate “is a wonderful security blanket, having someone to call on when trouble abounds, someone to ask for help, to pray for a sick relative or friend, to guide you along the way and to thank Him [God] for all of one’s blessings” highlighting its importance when life gets difficult.
Read Kevin and Kate’s full story on their vocation of marriage and family
Kevin and Kate Jennings’ story is a beautiful reminder that marriage is a profound journey of faith and love, a continuous act of “giving and taking” that strengthens not only the couple but also their relationship with the Lord, their family and community around them.
If you want to read more about their story, check out the Perth Vocations Office website or by scanning the QR code.
- Kevin Jennings: A Life Shaped by Faith, Family, and Love https://vocations.perthcatholic.org.au/vocations-stories/
- Kate Jennings: Marriage is a journey, sometimes the road is bumpy! https://vocations.perthcatholic.org.au/vocations-stories/