It’s not exactly the wedding season, but that didn’t stop a Catholic church in Georgia from hosting a mass marriage ceremony with a whopping 31 couples:

More than 500 parishioners were in attendance at St. Joseph Church on Dec. 22 for a unique event—one that married 31 couples in one Mass.

The Mass was celebrated in Spanish, the native tongue for most present, by the pastor, Father Jesús-David Trujillo, known to his congregation as Father J.D.

“This is the first time I celebrated a multiple-couple marriage,” the pastor wrote by e-mail afterward. “I know, in Dalton, on May 5, 2001, Father Abel Guerrero celebrated 11 weddings. This year I celebrated 31.”

The Mass brought the couples, who were either civilly married or not yet married, into communion with the Catholic Church.

The couples processed into the standing-room-only nave that was decorated for the Christmas season. A nearly life-size Nativity scene stood prominently in the sanctuary, which was also decorated with poinsettias and three trimmed Christmas trees.

The couples took their seats at the front of the church as the Mass began. The readings, which came from Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew, highlighted the importance and necessity of the relationship between a man and a woman. Following the readings, the pastor welcomed the couples and thanked the attendees for being a part of this unique event.

In his homily, Father J.D. explained how this Mass was a combination of new and old traditions. He also expanded on the Gospel’s message, speaking of marriage as special, definitive and lasting forever. The pastor then expressed his joy that this event was taking place during this particular season of the church, a sense he reiterated when he reflected on it later.

“All these couples were able to receive the sacrament of Communion now because they are married,” he said. “Especially at Christmas, they were able to celebrate Jesus born in them.”

After the homily, all of the couples stood as Father J.D. blessed them. Then each couple proceeded to the altar to exchange vows and rings. The best man and maid of honor for each couple also approached the altar and provided the rings accordingly.

Following the blessing, a large knotted rope or rosary was placed over each of the couples’ heads, showing how the sacrament of marriage connects human families with God’s family.

“The large knotted rope is a Mexican tradition that symbolizes the union of the couple,” commented Father J.D. “Externally, they symbolize what they do when they say the vows.”

The congregation was treated to a special surprise when Father J.D. blessed a arried couple also present and celebrating their 25th anniversary.

One-year-old Karen Garcia attends a reception in the social hall following the multiple-couple wedding ceremony. She joined her two brothers as they witnessed the sacramental marriage of their parents Sigifredo and Teresa.

“I was told that they were celebrating their 25th anniversary,” he said later. “For that reason, I asked them to stand in front of the congregation and in front of the new couples as an example for them. This couple, Fredy and Edith Manzanares, didn’t know about this surprise for them; they received a blessing on this occasion.”

According to the pastor, planning a Mass such as this is no easy task. More than 40 couples were originally scheduled to receive the sacrament, but 31 fully completed the necessary preparation.