Love was in abundance June 10 as five couples participated in the 'Sacramento del Matrimonio' performed by Father Frank Gaeta at St. Brigid's Church in Westbury.

Four of the couples, Carlos and Zulma Diaz from El Salvador, Gladys and Victor Maldonado from Puerto Rico, Rosa Alva and Anacleto Rivera from El Salvador, and Beatrice and Guerreros Torres from Mexico were previously married in civil services in their own countries. Isabel Ulloa and Adrian Padilla from Honduras were married for the first time at St. Brigid's.

"In many of the countries in Latin America, when couples get married, they have to be married in a civil ceremony first, before they can be married in the church," explained Sister Judy Mannix, pastoral associate of St. Brigid's Hispanic ministry. "Of course, that is not the case in this country."

Although all of the couples had been baptized, some had not received all the sacraments, such as first communion, which would allow them to be married in the Catholic Church. "We asked them to consider this," said Sister Judy, "and then we just tried to clear the path for them by helping them through the church program, and by securing the proper paperwork."

For some couples, a church wedding was a dream come true. Beatrice and Guerreros Torres were married 42 years, but that did not stop them from walking down the aisle once more to reaffirm their vows of love and devotion.

"Many of them always wanted to be married in the church, but didn't think it was possible, or didn't know what to do about it," said Sister Judy. "For most of them, it wasn't a pressing need, but it was certainly an occasion of mucho felicidad--much happiness."