Mervyn and Faye Rigney celebrate 70 years of marriage

Mervyn and Fay Rigney who have celebrated 70 years of wedded bliss will be joined by 39 other couples at the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong's annual Marriage Anniversaries Mass at St Francis Xavier Cathedral.

Mr Rigney said it's been 74 years since he met Fay as a teenagers, and they continue to find happiness by putting each other first.

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"We've had our ups and downs but thankfully we've had more ups," he said.

"It's just a matter of give and take, both ways, and always trying to help one another."

Bishop of Wollongong, Brian Mascord, said the Mass is a much-needed reminder that love and faithfulness endure, even through the tough times.

"Having been apart and separated for so much of the last two and a half years, there has been a real sense of disconnection as we lived through and with this pandemic," he said.

"Through their example, couples like Mervyn and Fay prove that even the most challenging circumstances are no match for love."

This year's celebration comes just weeks after Pope Francis urged families around the world to "accompany those who are most fragile, who are alone, refugees, abandoned" and to "be couples and families with big hearts!"