Two high-level female Episcopal priests in Massachusetts are in a long-term relationship together, and now hope their New Year’s Day nuptials will not split the church they have given their lives to as it grapples with acceptance of gay couples.

The Rev. Mally Lloyd married the Rev. Katherine Ragsdale in a ceremony at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, with about 400 guests attending, reports The Patriot Ledger.

“We are asking God’s blessing, and asking the community and our friends to bless our marriage,” said Rev. Lloyd about the union, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the Episcopal church.

Same-sex marriages are legal in the US state of Massachusetts, and the church leaders hope their flocks will accept the newly-married couple.

Photo: The Patriot Ledger