Knights throughout Poland celebrate Husband and Wife Day on the wedding anniversary of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin
By Mateusz Solarz
7/12/2023
Source
“The constant love and encouragement of our wives makes everything we do possible. The Knights of Columbus is a family organization, and we’re all in this together,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly reminded Knights in his greetings to the state conventions earlier this year.
Knights in Poland honor their wives and pray for their marriages in a particular way on Husband and Wife Day, which they celebrate each year on July 13, the wedding anniversary ofSts. Louis and Zélie Martin. Married in 1858 and parents of nine children, including St. Therese of Lisieux, Louis and Zélie were canonized together in 2015.
Two councils in southern Poland began the tradition of Husband and Wife Day in 2016; it spread quickly, becoming a program of the Poland State Council a few years later. Local councils mark the day with special events in their parishes, and for the last two years, the Poland State Council has also organized a national retreat that attracts couples from throughout the country. This year, dozens of spouses gathered July 7-9 in at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn in Skarżysko-Kamienna in central Poland.
After Mass on July 8, 40 couples renewed their marriage vows and received individual blessings. As a sign of his abiding love, each husband presented his wife with a rose. A festive dinner followed, and a workshop led by a Polish Catholic couple who run a popular blog about marriage.
District Deputy Marek Tyka, who attended the retreat with his wife, Agnieszka, said, “There is a need for days like today — days when we can pause for a moment, reflect on our marriage by renewing our wedding vows, when we can meet with friends from all over Poland, relax and be with each other for a while.”
Poland State Deputy Krzysztof Zuba hopes that the opportunity to reflect on the importance of marriage will have a lasting influence, strengthening married Knights in their vocation to lead their wives and children toward heaven.
“Husband and Wife Day is one day a year, but we want it to be an inspiration for every married couple, every husband and wife, to show love to each other every day,” Zuba said. “The task of every Knight is to care for his family — not only for its material existence, but first and foremost for mutual sanctification and salvation. Celebrating Husband and Wife Day together can be one, and perhaps the first, step in this direction.”
*****
MATEUSZ SOLARZ writes from Kraków, Poland.