Time for Renewal : This year, married couples can participate in services to retake their wedding vows.

Marriage vow renewal rites: Valentine’s Day is less than a month away. So again I expect to see diamond rings touted as the gift that says you would marry your spouse all over. But this year, why not just do it?

Renewing your wedding vows is cheaper than a ring. And it is less caloric than candy. Better still, consider making it a multi-generational event. Grandparents, Mom, Dad and your newlywed children could repeat vows together.

Next month, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles through the Office of Family Life will sponsor wedding anniversary celebrations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Traditionally, the ceremonies have been for couples married 25 years or longer. But Anne Hansen, coordinator of the local family life office, said this year that the ceremony is open to any family celebrating a wedding anniversary.

“In the past, it’s been fun for older couples. But I think that young couples could get just as much out of participating,” Hansen said.

Bishop G. Patrick Ziemann, auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese, will again officiate at the masses. “The renewal ceremony is encouraging to younger couples,” Ziemann said. “It’s a lovely, hopeful celebration that shows sustaining a good marriage can be done.”

Last year, several older couples who renewed their vows at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks told me the secrets of their 50 or more years of wedded bliss. These matrimonial masters advised not to marry too young.

Eva Caldero said of her husband, Michael: “We have met many challenges together. And what guarantee do we have that we’d be any happier with someone else?”

“Always make her feel that she’s the winner,” advised William Torrisi, referring to Josephine, his bride of more than 54 years.

And Leland Jansen admitted to his wife, Lucille: “I can never forget our anniversary because we were married on Flag Day, June 14, 1933. And it looked like all those flags were waving just for us.”

The best part about this hassle-free event is the cost. Couples and their families attend free. And afterward, everyone is invited to a reception with wedding cake.

Divorce seminar: The American Assn. of Retired Persons will sponsor “Divorce, the Midlife Transition,” a workshop for older women on the psychological and legal aspects of divorce, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Doubletree Hotel, 2055 E. Harbor Blvd., Ventura.

Speakers will include psychologist Priscilla De Garcia, director of the Re-Entry Center at Oxnard College, and Ellen Gay Conroy, an attorney specializing in family law.

Pati Longo, who represents the AARP Women’s Initiative Program, emphasized that divorce affects women differently than men. “In many instances, older women usually end up as displaced homemakers after divorce,” she said.

The $20 fee includes instructional materials and lunch. The workshop is limited to 60 people. To register by Tuesday’s deadline, call 647-8769 or send a check to AARP, P.O. Box 3544, Ventura 93006.

Fund-raiser to honor volunteers: The Buenaventura Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers will honor 10 senior Ventura County residents for service to their communities at the organization’s second annual fund-raiser banquet Jan. 25.

Caregivers, a nonprofit, nondenominational organization formed to help the frail elderly in their homes, has served Ventura since 1984 and Santa Paula since 1989.

The group matches the elderly with volunteers who assist them with shopping or drive them to medical appointments. These senior volunteers also provide companionship to the elderly.

The “Salute to Distinguished Seniors” dinner will be at the Saticoy Country Club, 4450 N. Clubhouse Drive, Camarillo. A no-host social hour begins at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. will precede the awards.

Half of the $100-per-person ticket cost is tax-deductible. Call 652-0566 by Friday for tickets, which will not be sold at the door.

* FYI

Married couples of all ages are invited to attend the following special masses and to repeat their wedding vows. The ceremonies start at 2 p.m. For details or to register for a ceremony, call 388-2708. . . . Feb. 8: St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, Las Posas Road and Crestview Avenue, Camarillo, and Feb. 15: Holy Cross Catholic Church, 1740 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara.