There was excitement at Chelelemuk Catholic Parish in Teso North Sub County on Saturday as 61 couples exchanged marital vows in a mass wedding presided over by Bungoma Catholic Diocese Bishop Mark Kadima.
According to the organizers the mass wedding was meant to ensure more couples in the Parish fulfill their matrimonial sacrament as stipulated in the Holy Bible.
The Bishop lauded the couples for their commitment and assured them of the support from the church as they continue to journey through their marriage life. He said in marriage couples must be ready to sacrifice for one another lest it fails.
He urged the couples to commit to live together for the rest of their lives because “destroying marriages is a sin.” “It is in marriage that we show God’s love. With couples agreeing to commit to love one another for the rest of their lives, all the sacrifices have been done. Marriage is not a personal decision, it is a decision that comes from God,” the Bishop said.
“It is a vocation, it is a calling from God and whoever you marry, and it is God who gives you that person. We therefore pray for them and we pray to God that they remain faithful to their partners as God wishes,” he stated.
Chelelemuk Parish Priest Bernard Famba promised the congregation that a similar event will be held next year and appealed to more couples to come out and wed.
“Because of what has happened today, we want to encourage couples to continue loving one another. St Paul said we must love one another the way Jesus Christ loved the Church and that meant sacrificing,” he said.
Busia Deputy Governor Arthur Odera also praised the couples for taking a bold in their marital life as demanded by Biblical teachings. He said the county government will continue supporting the church any given time whenever called upon.
Some of the couples who spoke after the wedding said the high cost of living is forcing many Christians to shelve the traditional one-couple-weddings and opting for mass weddings which are cheaper.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait
