The Rev. Scott Carl, left, and Antonio Morra helped Maria Carmen Morra walk up the steps in front of the pulpit during her and Antonio’s wedding at St. Odilia Catholic Church in Shoreview. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
On May 25, buoyed by her sisterhood, who handled everything from food to flowers, Maria walked down the aisle at St. Odilia’s, assisted by her older son, Leo. Antonio was waiting for her, his eyes pooling with tears. Age-old vows took on a new meaning when Maria and Antonio promised to be faithful to each other in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. Friends encircled the bride and groom with a rosary that formed an “8,” the infinity symbol, a sign of their persisting love.
“If the priest starts crying, it’s not a very helpful thing,” Scott told me. “But certainly my heart was moved.”
This moment was everything Maria dreamed of. The village who babysat her boys, drove them to school, escorted her to the doctor and fed the family to lighten Maria’s load helped choreograph her late-in-life wish.
“I have this illness, but God didn’t leave me alone. He has given me the most wonderful angels, the most wonderful friends,” she says. “Love can make a big difference in this fight.”
The Rev. Scott M. Carl announced the marital union of Maria Carmen and Antonio Morra after their wedding ceremony. "My heart was moved," Carl said after the ceremony. "I could not help but be touched." (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)