President Emeritus Ċensu Tabone and his wife Maria yesterday walked down the aisle of Lapsi church in St Julians to the tune of the Ave Maria, exactly 70 years from their wedding day.
Say thank you for what you’ve got
This time, however, the pews were packed with the fruit of their union: eight children, 19 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren, who honoured the couple for their example in love and marriage.
The importance of a united family was not only spoken about but also evident in their presence on the occasion. Some members had gone to great lengths to be together on the day, travelling from as far afield as Australia, Dubai, Switzerland and Poland, among others.
Jokingly asked if he still loved his wife, Dr Tabone paused before he held her hand and answered simply: “More!”
Their bond was also visible in subtle gestures, such as when Ms Tabone helped her husband up to receive Holy Communion and supported him.
According to a notice on The Times of Malta announcing the wedding between Dr Tabone, now 98, and Ms Wirth, 92, held at the Bishop’s Palace in Gozo in 1941, the bride was wearing a “becoming white cloque frock made with a loose-fitting bodice… Her old lace veil was held in place by a topknot of roses… For ornament she wore a diamond cross – a gift of the bridegroom”.
God continued to have a prominent place in their lives and when asked to reveal the secret to such a long and successful marriage, Ms Tabone said: “You have to accept what God sends you.” Her advice to married couples was to do just that and “say thank you for what you’ve got”.
The couple still attends Mass and says the Holy Rosary together every day, which was considered “a knock on our door” by one of the daughters, who described the happy occasion as “emotional” and a sign of “the grace of God, especially in today’s day and age”.
During the bidding prayers, the grandchildren expressed what a “wonderful example” their grandparents have been. Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Paul Cremona, who said Dr Tabone and his wife were “proof that if you live God’s plan for marriage, it will pay off”.
He pointed out that God had entered their life and never left.
Gozo Bishop Mario Grech, who concelebrated, said they received a letter from Pope Benedict XVI, which was signed by the Pontiff personally. Throughout the Mass, children clambered about and other family members filmed the event, using iPads and technology the couple would have never even imagined when they tied the knot.
Dr and Ms Tabone walked out of the church under an arch of swords by the Armed Forces of Malta, where the former President planted a kiss on his wife’s cheek before proceeding to spend the rest of the day celebrating their anniversary with family and friends.