As the church bells rang and the piano played, friends and family gathered at Dolores Mission Catholic Church last Saturday to celebrate the unity of five Boyle Heights couples.
The couples, whose ages range from 30 to 85 years old, were dressed to the nines. Brides donned white lace wedding gowns and tiaras, while grooms wore black suits and white button-down shirts.
Some had been living together for decades or had previously married in a civil ceremony but never had the opportunity to wed at a church. Today, they didn’t have to worry about much, as the church and donations by the community made their weddings free.
“We are very happy! Very happy to finally be able to get married,” said Jose Arriola, 85, who married Teresa Carrillo, 79, after being together for decades.
Offering free weddings to community members and parishioners in need has been a tradition at Dolores Mission Church since the 1940s, church leaders say. The church waives fees associated with wedding ceremonies, provides a priest to conduct a mass and takes donations from local businesses and community members to help with decorations and food for the reception.
“Sometimes people can’t afford a wedding, or because of documentation, or other reasons they don’t get married in a church,” said Father Brendan Busse, the Dolores Mission parish priest who married the five couples.
“They realize after many years of living together, they want to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony, so we organize these weddings to relieve them of the pressure of doing this by themselves.”
The event last weekend marked a return since the pandemic put a halt to the annual gathering in 2020. Dolores Mission plans to continue hosting the communal weddings for years to come.
Boyle Heights Beat spoke with the couples who shared what love meant to them and how grateful they were to finally tie the knot.
Juana León, 59, and Alberto Beles, 61
“Love is understanding and wisdom for the well-being of oneself and… one’s children” – Juana León, 59
“Love is love. Love each other, respect each other, understand each other, value everything” – Alberto Beles, 61
Adan, 59, and Elsa Quintero, 69
“[Love] is to be together all the time… be happy. Anything that needs to be fixed, we can talk about it with each other. That’s what it means — communicate everything.”- Adan Quintero, 59
Teresa Carrillo, 79, and Jose Arreola, 85
“We didn’t have money to get married when we were younger. But thanks to my children and the church we can do it.” – Teresa Carrillo, 79
This is beautiful to know.
Congratulations ? ? ? ?