After 50 years of sharing their love and faith together, two teenage sweethearts will join Catholic couples from across the Archdiocese of Toronto in renewing their wedding vows at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica on February 8. 

Susan Cini Azzopardi and her husband Louis will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary together as Auxiliary Bishop John Boissonneau presides over this year’s Marriage Sunday Mass, a celebration honouring couples and granting special recognition to those celebrating 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th or greater wedding anniversaries this year.

For the Azzopardis, this will be their first time participating in the annual archdiocesan event, a profound way to mark half a century of shared life and one that both have been looking forward to. Together still, now on the steps of St. Michael’s, their story begins with the neighbouring steps of their respective childhood homes in Toronto. 

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“My father came here on his own from Malta, with my mother and seven children, two years later, before I was born. I come from a family of 16,” Mrs. Azzopardi said.

“Susan and I were born here, I in 1955 and she in 1956, and our birthdays are on the same day,” Louis added. “We turned out to be next-door neighbours, as we had found out, as well as both being twins in our families — what are the odds of that?”

As time went on, both families ended up growing in their own ways and moving towns, leaving them unable to truly connect in their younger years. It wasn’t until the two reconnected as teenagers at a gathering in June of 1974 that their relationship officially began. 

It wouldn’t be much longer than two years until the couple would get married on Aug. 28, 1976.

The two would go on to have four children of their own, and now are also grandparents to nine grandsons, all of whom are seen as blessings by the Azzopardis, both remaining ever-proud of the family they’ve been fortunate to have grown together with.  

“ Raising our family, I remember it being a very busy, but very fulfilling time. They have all done very well in life, and that's what every parent wants to see,” Mr. Azzopardi said. “Like all parents, you have your ups and downs, especially when bringing up children. Without our faith, it would've been much more difficult through all the trials we faced,” his wife added. 

As the daughter of Maltese immigrants, Mrs. Azzopardi’s Catholic faith has been woven throughout her life and is an aspect of her being that she still strongly recognizes. She recalls members of her family still picturing her mother saying prayers or praying her rosary throughout their house, and that both her parents were regular Mass attendees and highly committed to their faith.

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Today, the Azzopardis are parishioners of St. Leonard’s Parish in Brampton, where Mrs. Azzopardi has been serving for decades in various capacities, such as Eucharistic minister, CWL member and through the finance committee. 

Mr. Azzopardi is also a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus, a title he’s held for two decades. It’s a path that he credits his wife for helping him find, as well as leading him to explore aspects of the faith as a whole more freely in his later years. 

“ I was not really a churchgoer, but since my wife really got involved with the parish, so did I. Since I became a Knight, I’d say that it allowed me to go to church more often, and that’s really helped us,” he said. 

When prompted to think back on some memorable moments from across their 50 years of marriage together, Mr. Azzopardi instead chose to reflect on the mundane and routine as some of the most important.

“ It’s everything my wonderful wife does. The way she looks after me every day, our children, the grandchildren; she’s always there to help or take care of our family.” 

For Mrs. Azzopardi, it was the suddenness of realizing that she and the boy from next door now sit at the same milestone that her parents crossed so many years ago. 

“ My parents' 50th anniversary seemed like yesterday; they never had a wedding because they were married during the Second World War. I remember my husband and me being there, saying, ‘Can you believe Mom and Dad have been married for 50 years, right?’ Now, here we are following in their footsteps.” 

As a young Catholic man myself, still discerning what my vocation surrounding marriage may be in the coming years, the Azzopardis did not shy away from lending advice that is both touchingly spiritual and cheekily practical. 

“Communication!” Mr. Azzopardi said with a laugh before the question even finished. 

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“ I would say faith, because in happy times and times of trial, it is that faith that will carry you. Our marriage, its joy and trials, have only brought us a stronger faith,” his wife said. 

All are welcome to this year’s Marriage Sunday Mass at 2:30 p.m in person or via livestream Mass, beginning at 2:15 p.m. Visit  https://www.stmichaelscathedral.com/live/.