01 Mar 2023
Celebrating the gift of marriage
The Southern Cross March 2023
Daminh Vuong Van Nguyen, 93, and Maria Vuong Thi Nguyen, 87, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in St Patrick’s Church, Grote Street, on December 29 last year.
The Nguyens were married on Christmas Eve 1952 in a small village in Hai Hau Bui Chu in North Vietnam. Two years later, they fled Communist rule in the north and moved to Saigon in South Vietnam where they raised nine children. Mr Nguyen was a taxi driver and Mrs Nguyen worked at the markets as well as looking after their children.
The family migrated to South Australia in 1988. They now live in Pooraka and attend the Church of Our Lady of the Boat People on Sunday mornings.
After 70 years of marriage, they have six children remaining and 14 grandchildren. Both are in good health and love to garden every day.
Fr My Tran, who celebrated the anniversary thanksgiving Mass, said the Nguyens were a “wonderful example” to their children and grandchildren, and all married couples.
“They have had many blessings and also many challenging times,” he said. “Their life together is evidence of their strong faith…we pray they will have many blessings to come.
“Their sacrament of marriage is a gift from God to us.”