True friendship and remaining loyal to each other has been the key element for a long and lasting marriage for Peter and Barbara Boggon, who this month celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.
Peter and Barbara will also this month be among some 100 couples renewing their marriage vows and receiving a blessing from Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB as part of the Annual Marriage Day Mass on 11 August.
The Marriage Day Mass will be celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral on 11 August at 7pm in honour of couples celebrating a significant anniversary.
Couples who have indicated their attendance at the event (via Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services), will receive a certificate from the bishops to commemorate the special milestone in their marriage.
Married on 29 August 1970 at Corpus Christi Church, Mosman Park, Peter and Barbara have two children and four grandchildren.
The couple, who now belong to St Francis Xavier Parish in Armadale, met through mutual friends while Barbara was on holiday in Liverpool, England in 1968.
Barbara says that having a Christian marriage was extremely important for her, because it was part of who she was.
“The Catholic faith has always been a big part of my life – I have a sister who belongs to the Presentation Sisters; I had been brought up in the Catholic faith and I can’t think of what life would be like to not be involved in the Church,” she said.
While Peter was not a Catholic when the couple were married, he was baptised 10 years later at St Thomas Parish, Claremont.
Barbara says that, in thinking about her 45 years of marriage, today’s society places a huge emphasis on the need to be happy, but often not with a Christian mindset.
“We worked on our marriage,” she said. “We have never not wanted to be married.”
The couple went on to say that, for them, their marriage has been about knowing each other, which comes from good communication.
“Peter and I always talk to each other – we don’t make a decision without consulting each other,” Barbara said. “We are very good friends,” Peter said.
Both Barbara and Peter agreed raising children is a difficult task – but that both parents need to be in tune with each other.
“You need to be on the same page. For Peter and I, our Christian ideals were the same, which is most important.
“Yes – it’s a challenge, especially considering you (as a parent) always feel like you are being watched – what you’re doing and how you’re doing it (looking after your child),” Barbara said.
“You also have to remember that there is another person (your spouse) who has their ideas too,” she said.
So what advice would they give to other couples looking to get married in the Church today?
“Acknowledge that there is a third person – which is God – and try to walk with Him all the time,” they said.
About the Annual Marriage Day Mass
Director of Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services, Derek Boylen, said 2015 will be the eleventh year the event has been held and gives married couples the chance to look back at the work God has done for them.
“In front of all the challenges facing a Christian marriage today, it is important we make time to remember the love and unity that Christ has allowed us to experience,” Mr Boylen said.
“As married couples, too often we go through life, day after day, sometimes without a chance to reflect on how, why and where the Holy Spirit is guiding us, showing us what it really means to love – like Christ did – and how, as Christians, we, in turn, can pass on the gift of faith to our children and those around us through this love,” he said.