For Antonella and Daniel Mifsud, Life Marriage and Family (LMF) Sunday is a chance to remember what matters most. “It’s an opportunity to renew our marriage vows, and it’s a time for reflection on our marriage,” said Antonella.
The Life, Marriage and Family Sunday Mass has become a cherished occasion, this year scheduled for Sunday 19 October, coinciding with the feast day of St John Paul II.
This Mass serves as a celebration of the blessings of marriage and family life, offering couples an opportunity for renewing their martial promises and receiving a special blessing for their families from Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP.
For the past 15 years, the couple has made it a tradition to renew their vows in St Mary’s Cathedral, the sacred place of their marriage 34 years ago. But their story is not one of unbroken happiness.
Every year they return thankful for the role faith has had in fortifying their relationship, especially in the face of unforeseen hardship.
About 11 years ago, the Mifsuds were forced out of their “forever home” in Croydon by aggressive developers who bought up every house around them.
“They made our life hell for six years before we gave in and just got out,” Antonella recalls.
The pressure of having to leave their newly renovated home and start again pushed their marriage to the brink.
“We were at the stage of our lives where we were comfortable with our kids and our home, and we didn’t want to move. But we were forced to start all over again, and at that age, in our early 40s, we didn’t want to do that. It put unbelievable pressure on us.”
The stress took its toll on the couple. “It was very hard for us,” Daniel admits. “But we used to always say, you know, we’ve got our health, got each other, got our faith, got our kids, and, you know, we just kept going.”
It was their faith that made the difference between divorce and the strong marriage they have today. “If we didn’t have our faith, I think it’d be very difficult, because you can pray for guidance, help along the way, and that’s all part and parcel of it,” Daniel says.
So, every year they attend LMF Sunday with their daughters and make it a family event.
“I love seeing all the other couples who have been through it too. It’s the inspiration you get from seeing marriages that have lasted 50, 60 years, whatever, some maybe 70, if they’re lucky. It’s good to just be around them.”
Their advice for other couples? “They’ve got to work together. They’ve got to work as a team. They’ve got to pray together. They’ve got to live their lives as a union. And, they’ve got to communicate well with each other,” advised Antonella.
LMF Officer, Kate Turnbull, said LMF Sunday provides a special opportunity to celebrate and renew the commitment of families to their role in the church and the world.
“Families are at the heart of the church’s mission,” she added. “They serve as the first environment where faith is nurtured and shared.”
To couples thinking of attending, Antonella and Daniel offers this encouragement: “It brings you back to the day you got married. And think of the promises you made to each other the day you got married, and because once you get married, you can forget about those promises. So, when the times are tough, you remember those promises you made to each other on that day.”
To register for LMF Sunday on 19 October please visit: www.trybooking.com/DDFAJ
 Sunday is a chance to remember what matters most. “It’s an opportunity to renew our marriage vows, and it’s a time for reflection on our marriage,” said Antonella.){kind=link}