Special to Milhilard.org

In a moving celebration that blended faith, love, and endurance, the Armenian Catholic Church in Amman marked the renewal of marriage vows for dozens of parish couples, many of whom have been united in holy matrimony for more than four decades.

The “Wedding Jubilee, Holy Church Marriage” ceremony—an initiative by parish priest Father Yeghia Tertsakian—was held at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Achrafieh. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Monsignor Tariq Namoyan, the Armenian Catholic Patriarch of the Holy Land and Jordan, with Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Tono, the Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan, in attendance.

A Celebration of Lifelong Commitment

The church invited couples who were originally married at Our Lady of the Assumption to renew their vows in a special ceremony. Each invitation carried the couple’s names, wedding date, and a heartfelt message:

“You have pledged yourselves before God and His people to remain united at all times, bound together only by love… Decades have passed, and you remain united despite the hardships of life and the treachery of times.”

Thirty-four couples accepted the invitation, while others, unable to attend for personal reasons, were remembered in prayer and visited by the parish with tokens of appreciation.

Rekindling Joy After Decades

Speaking to Milhilard.org, Father Tertsakian described the emotional moment when couples—some married for over 45 years—walked into the church hand-in-hand, accompanied by their children and grandchildren.

The Sanctity of Christian Marriage

“The joy and memories they shared with their loved ones entered with them,” he said. “Through this ceremony, the church sought to bring joy and happiness to their lives. These marriages may have suffered hardship and estrangement, yet they have endured in Christian love.”

Father Tertsakian emphasized that within the Armenian Catholic tradition, marriage is a sacred union that cannot be dissolved by divorce, only annulled in rare cases. The church, he said, plays an active role in reconciliation and family harmony.

“Christian marriage,” he explained, “is the union of the believer with the Church in sacrifice and giving. It is evidence of divine love. The Lord Christ was with you throughout all the times you lived together.”

A First in Church History

This was the first such celebration in the history of the Armenian Catholic Church in Achrafieh, built in 1951. The event featured hymns, a modest reception, and a large cake adorned with red, yellow, and purple flowers, symbolizing joy and renewal.

Father Tertsakian drew inspiration for the initiative from a similar program he launched in Greece in the 1990s, later replicated in France, Lebanon, Armenia, and now Jordan.

“The idea,” he said, “was to remind parishioners of the value of marriage and family, and to emphasize that they are not alone.”

Stories of Faith and Enduring Love

Among the celebrants were Maria Nahas and her husband, Vicken Shamblian, who renewed their vows 30 years after their wedding on September 3, 1995.

“Thirty years of love, challenges, maturity, and countless blessings,” Maria reflected. “We began our journey with a simple yet profound faith: that God unites hearts and blesses homes. After all these years, I can say with confidence—the Lord was with us in every tear and every smile.”

Maria spoke proudly of their three children—Janita, Christine, and Antranik—whom she described as “the fruit of our love and living proof that Christian love never fails.”

Quoting from 1 Corinthians 13, she said:

“Love is patient, love is kind… it is not arrogant… Love never fails.”

She expressed gratitude to Father Yeghia “for organizing this unforgettable moment filled with warmth and true Christian spirit,” and prayed that all Christian homes “remain filled with the love of Christ, and be a light in this world.”