On July14th, our 21-year-old daughter Lucy married Michael Duchesne. We had a wedding reception here in our backyard, with more than 200 people attending. 

It’s been an emotional time for me. Lucy is the second to the youngest, and I’ve never had a wedding for a daughter before. I felt, as we began the process of preparations, completely confused about what my role should be. 

The central question I had was, “Whose party is this anyway?” At the age of 63, my priorities are different from Lucy’s and Michael’s. My son, Francis, age 31, gave me very good advice: Do not place the fear of offending people above your relationship with your daughter or with her husband. 

This really cleared things up for me. I decided that it was not my party, but theirs. Leonardo and I set a budget for what we could spend, and then let them work within those limits to make their day beautiful. It was.

Lord, please bless Lucy and Michael with a marriage centered on You. Thank you for helping us all to focus on what was most important: the sacrament they’ve received, and the joy of the people we all love celebrating together.