Following Stanford’s talk, conference attendees filled Christ the King Chapel where retired Bishop Thomas Welsh of Allentown, Pennsylvania celebrated a votive Mass for the family.

“The idea of covenant helps us to recall the original covenant that was with God and mankind, and so the marriage covenant should remind us that God is very much a part of this agreement,” Bishop Welsh said in his homily.

“We need Jesus at our weddings today,” he continued. “We very much need Mary too. At so many weddings these days the priest is afraid to be looking down at the bride because of the way she is undressed. The Blessed Mother’s presence is very important to us to stem the tide of pre-marital sex and cohabitation before marriage. We need Jesus and Mary, not just at the wedding, but also in the marriage.”