Some of the women wore white, flowing dresses and their husbands were dressed in suits.
The ages of the couples ranged from the 20s on up to the 80s.
Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were among some 1,500 people on hand at St. Augustine Cathedral Sunday to watch the couples renew their vows.
More than 200 couples participated in the special, annual Mass celebrated by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
The Browns - Francisco, 84, and Irene, 82 - celebrated 60 years of marriage, which blessed them with seven children, 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
"I am very happy today," said Francisco Brown, a retired Little League coach who became an adoptive father to scores of boys on the city's south side over decades.
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"Today helps us remember the past, and lots of wonderful memories," said Irene Brown.
The Browns offered this advice to newly married couples: "Share your thoughts. Be honest. When you get mad, resolve the problem before you go to bed at night."
Another couple, Grace and Domingo Pier, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next week with their family and friends at the ballroom of a local hotel. Their 10 children, 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren are expected to attend.
"This celebration is an emotional one for us because when we got married before a judge in Los Angeles, we had no money," recalled Domingo Pier, 73.
Later, the couple were married through the church, explained Grace Pier, 76, who was dressed in a white, floral formal on Sunday. Her husband, a retired electrical engineer from Hughes Aircraft Co., wore a dark-blue pinstriped suit.
Domingo Pier reflected on marriage: "You can never give up. Life is a roller coaster with its ups and downs. You need to communicate - always. And apologize for what you did wrong. Own up to it and move on."
Grace Pier said: "We don't even go to bed without kissing. Faith is the foundation of our life. Faith holds the whole family together."
This was the sixth year in which couples with anniversaries of one year, 25 years and 50 years or more proclaimed their love for each other before God, family and friends.
Robert and Genevieve Brechtel of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Huachuca City - married 66 years - have the longest marriage among this year's group.
Seventy-eight couples celebrated 25 years together, and 80 couples celebrated 50 years of marriage.
After the Mass, each couple took photographs with Kicanas in front of the main altar. The photo and a certificate will be given to each couple as a remembrance of the special day.
Kicanas reminded the couples to ask themselves each day: "What have I done for my marriage today?"
"It is the little things that mean so much each day," the bishop said.
This celebration was initiated by Kicanas to strengthen the sacrament of marriage and acknowledge that marriage still works in the midst of a fast-paced society with stresses of all kinds that affect the union of couples, explained the Rev. Miguel Mariano.
The celebration continued in the parish hall, where there was a reception with cake for the couples and their guests. Festivities continued for many who went off to celebrate at restaurants or their homes.
"You can never give up. Life is a roller coaster with its ups and downs. You need to communicate - always. And apologize for what you did wrong."
Domingo Pier,
husband to Grace
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com
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