Financial Statement 2021-2022 Fiscal Year

                   A man kept going to the race track and day after day kept losing his money. To get his mind off his losing streak his friend took him horseback riding so that he would have a good experience with a horse. Being a novice in riding horses, the man began to panic when his mount took off and would not stop so he yelled out to his friend, “How do I get this horse to stop?”  His friend replied, “Bet on it.”
 
This week the parish provides a financial report for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, which may be found in the back of the bulletin as well as on our parish website and weekly flock note. It consists of a synopsis of income/expenses for the past three fiscal years as well as the 2021-22 and 2022-23 parish budgets. Included are revenues from Sunday collections, school income, faith formation and youth ministry revenue plus income collected for the monthly buildings and ground collections. Expenses in the report cover salaries and benefits for school and parish personnel, diocesan assessments, administrative operating costs and maintenance expenses. There are also statistics on our Capital Campaign that include payments received through December 31, 2022, campaign expenditures, net funds available and campaign pledges which total $2,013,621. Unlike the man who kept losing at the race track, members of the Pastoral Staff of the parish and school personnel have worked extremely hard to keep their expenses down during a period of time when inflation is raising the cost of much that comes into the ministries of those employed at the parish.
 
Like most churches, corporations, families and everyone else, we were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet were fortunate to receive a PPP grant. Our weekly collections have dropped, yet thankfully the majority of our parishioners now contribute through online giving, which is approximately 60% of our offertory collections. My thanks for your ongoing generosity as well as all who were so giving to the recent Capital Campaign. Nevertheless, our offertory collections have been down year-after-year. In order to minimize the impact of the lower collections, we eliminated most discretionary spending which includes non-replacement of some parish personnel in that the staff has slowly decreased in size as some employees have moved out of the area, retired, or taken on other positions outside of St. Patrick Church. As a parish we are thrilled to have decreased costs in our ministries without taking away from most spiritual or social activities.
 
Any questions or comments that pertain to the financial report are welcomed and appreciated. Please feel free to contact me, or our finance manager, Mr. Mike Vogel at [email protected] or parish finance committee chairperson, Mr. Kevin Guckian, [email protected] for any clarifications of the report. Giving to your parish is more than a financial obligation but recognition that all that we have is a gift from God that permits the parish to continue God’s work which is part of our spiritual lives.
 
On behalf of our Parish Finance Committee, in particular Mr. Kevin Guckian, finance committee chairperson, and Mr. Mark Armstrong who advises the Council in financial matters, I thank you for your ongoing financial support of our parish through your presence, blessings, skills and financial commitment; as well as donations to the annual Diocesan Ministry Appeal, St. Patrick School Appeal, and Rebuild, Restore, and Renew Campaign.
 
This weekend’s reading from the prophet Isaiah concludes with a promise from God to make the Israelites a light to all other nations. God comes to each of us, inviting us to be a light for the parish within our Catholic beliefs and faith.  Sacrificial giving nurtures the spirit of the giver to hear the voice of the Lord, and at the same time helps build a better world. May God bless you throughout 2023 with authentic joy and prosperity that renders happiness to each day.
 
 

Financial Statment 2021-2022 Fiscal Year

Happy New Year! It feels like only yesterday I was saying those words as 2022 flew by so quickly. There are many cherished memories in my heart from 2022 as it was a delightful, yet challenging year that generated much wisdom, excitement, joy and happiness into my life. The year taught me much about people and the way I handle particular, stressful situations through tasks and dilemmas that I did not anticipate, but gained me greater appreciation for my own life and personal blessings. These moments energized me and reminded me of my purpose in life as well as the good wishes that come upon me from people who are close to me. I pray 2022 was a favorable one for you with awareness of the good you rendered to family, friends, employment, church, and neighborhood. If it was a year that left you with the loss of a loved one, crystalize the way that person blessed your life and was God’s gift to you. The start of a New Year is also time to examine all that you plan to bring to 2023, which becomes your gift to the New Year.

The church begins the New Year with the celebration of the Feast of Mary, Mother of God. Luke’s Gospel reading at mass reexamines Mary who faces doubts and fears about parenthood as she entertains the important question, “What does it mean to be the Mother of God?” Like most parents, Mary could never envision the consequences that awaited her in raising a child. Her trust in God was undeniable, and led to the most important birth in human history. Luke’s Gospel makes reference to the way Mary pondered her future, which is a sign for us to reflect rather than advertise all that we hold in the restlessness of our hearts.

Since the days of Mary’s motherhood, parenthood has become much more complex, especially in recognition of individuals considered to be members of a family, as well as the manner that family dysfunction, abuse, or conflict gets handled. Nobody likes to admit to these matters, but they are real in many homes and often denied or not realized. There is a bundle of complicated questions that parents face today which pertain to sexism, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, technology, social media, and other forms of family life that need attention in the New Year. How do we deal with family members who have swayed from a lifestyle promoted through the values of Christian living? Do we render support to children, family, and acquaintances who are in disagreement with our own style of life? Or, do we display anger toward them and seek to distance ourselves from communication with them?  What are our reactions or our children’s reactions to gay marriages? January 1 is also a World Day of Peace. The best start to a New Year is through efforts that initiate peace within individuals who make up our families.

The December 18, 2022 edition of the NY Times provided a captivating column titled, “New York’s Mosaic of Religions” which illustrated the way New York is a place for people “to express their faith and share its treasures and ideals in a multitude of ways.” I related this to my experiences with non-Christian believers, and my interaction with them anytime dialogue comes forth at social gatherings. Somehow it is essential to have awareness of the common thread that makes up most religions which is love for God and neighbor rather than an edgy feeling during moments of conversation. In a heavyhearted manner the same edition of the NY Times submitted a section to the paper labeled, “The Lives They Lived” which documented lives of children lost to gun violence stating that this is the greatest cause of children’s deaths since 2020. This is an unfortunate statement upon our society whereby our political parties cannot come together to find a workable solution to the problem.

            I pray 2023 is a good one for you, and leave you with a blessing in hope that you are faithful and true to those who love you, and loyal to those who are your friends so that you may never bring hardship to their lives or distress to their hearts. Happy New Year!

In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob
 

Christmas:  God's Bear Hug to Humanity

It is often forgotten that the future of God’s creation hangs on countless yes and no answers that are carried out each day. Christmas invites us to ponder our yes and no decisions in that the choice of a young woman named Mary over two thousand years ago redirected civilization. There is a story by Frederick Buecher titled, Gabriel’s Secret Fear which awakens us to the way personal choices have an impact upon so many people: “She struck the angel Gabriel as hardily old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child, but he’d been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it. He told her what her child was to be named, and who he was to be, and something about the mystery that was to come upon her. “You must not be afraid, Mary,” he said. As he said it, he only hoped she wouldn’t notice that beneath the great, golden wings he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole world future of creation hung now on the answer of a young girl.”

The decision of that young girl leads us to express two simple words. “Merry Christmas” during this time of year.  People in cathedrals, chapels, homes and distant lands served by military personnel huddle around the expression of those words. There is something about the phrase “Merry Christmas” that puts a smile on the face, and renders joy to the heart in that Christmas is really a big “bear hug” from God. A hug that reveals a loving embrace between an invisible God and human being that activates a connection between the human and divine. In the same manner that an infant is cuddled with love, Christmas places a child into our arms to propel a spirit of peace with a message of hope. Traditions that include story-telling, gift giving, ethnic foods, and family togetherness welcome the young and old to share precious memories that seep into our lives. Although Christmas festivities do not reproduce the historical birth of Jesus, they launch confidence in us to rejoice in the rebirth of the Christ-child, which makes Christmas come alive in 2022.

The message of Christmas is embodied in a style of life that looks beyond December 25 in that after Christmas decorations are put away, it is fitting to adopt an imaginative way to make Christmas ongoing. In an article titled, Our Lives Radically Altered, the late Fr. Richard P. McBrien, a former professor of theology at Notre Dame University states, “Christmas provides an opportunity to reflect anew and more deeply on what we really believe and on how this belief can or should affect our thinking, our attitudes, and our behavior toward others. Because of the Incarnation, human history and the lives of each individual within it have been radically and permanently altered. This world of ours has become a different place because the Son of God has become its center and its driving force.” It must also be stated that the birth of Christ not only changed human existence, but also changed God, who took on human form; therefore, an immortal God became subject to human conditions.

Christmas encourages us to shrug off the faults of others as we aim to carry blessings of laughter, cheer, and friendship to an assortment of gatherings that generates a mindset which eliminates the commercialism that is the sole experience of some on Christmas. The common thread during this season is to go the extra mile since so much energy is set in motion to provide the perfect gift, meal and environment for Christmas; yet, it cannot be ignored that there are people in nursing facilities without visitors, adolescents without parents, and underprivileged people without opportunity to receive a gift or affirming word on Christmas. Here we are encouraged to be the innkeepers for God who is found behind those faces in the same manner that Jesus was found in a stable.   

May Christmas lead you to rediscover Christ in a new way as an innkeeper for anyone who is unloved, helpless, abused, or the socially rejected. On behalf of our pastoral staff and school personnel, I wish you a Merry Christmas.

In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob
 

Advent:  Joseph's Dilemma

This weekend the church lights the 4^th candle on the Advent Wreath which stirs the thought that this is the last week in Advent, and Christmas is around the corner. Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew highlights the dilemma of Joseph in God’s plan of salvation. Unlike Luke who gives prominence to Mary in the Infancy Narratives, Matthew features Joseph who puts trust in God’s plan for his family as he accepts to provide Jesus all that most of us look for in life such as a name, home, family, and a sense of belonging as he chooses radical hospitality for the child who is God in disguise. Discerning God’s will in light of all his heart believed in contrast to the requirements of his religion and culture must have been agonizing.
 
Since the Fourth Sunday in Advent acknowledges that Christmas is only a week away, most of us have hungered with patient waiting from the beginning of Advent for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Throughout December the biblical readings from Isaiah proclaimed at liturgies have awakened us to the prophecies of the coming of the Christ-child. This weekend’s Isaiah reading generates the message that a son is to come into the world named Emmanuel which is translated into “God with us.” This links the coming of Jesus into the Davidic line of history; therefore, the final week of Advent invites us to ponder the meaning of those proclamations, which manifests spiritual growth that is in contrast to the way many in our culture experience the steps leading to Christmas.
 
Christmas comes from the words “Christ” and "mass” and was introduced into the world during the fourth century when Pope Julius set the date for Jesus’ birth as December 25. Although there is no place in the scriptures where we find that Jesus was born on December 25, it is fitting to celebrate Jesus’ birth around the greatest time of darkness on our calendar. The power of Christmas is that God took on human life in the presence of a man named Jesus who bids us into a relationship that bonds us to him through experiences of peace, forgiveness, mercy, sacrifice, and love. These virtues became the hallmark of Jesus’ humanity.
 
Like Joseph who knew that nothing is impossible with God, we are called to take steps that extend us to those who have distanced themselves from us as well as seek God’s mercy from those we have offended. In answering the question: Who is Jesus? Or, how does Jesus relate to God? We come to see Jesus as a messenger of mercy to all who entered into his human life; therefore, we are to follow Jesus in that same manner. As Jesus’ birth was preceded by years of anticipation, we follow in Joseph’s footsteps on the path we take in anticipation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Although this final week prior to Christmas propels a bombardment of advertisements that falsely sway us with belief of the happiness it instills into loved ones, the elation of Jesus’ birth does not come through expensive gifts and lavish decorations. If we make them the heart of our Christmas celebration, Christmas becomes a one-day season that fades quickly rather than an opportunity to enter into a style of life that draws us into a greater relationship with Christ. Like Joseph, one of our dilemmas is not to lose sight that gifts and decorations are not the most important aspect of a Christmas celebration.
 
As Joseph’s dream affirmed him to take Mary into his home; he reminds us that the first Christmas was not about himself or Mary, but about the son he is to raise. He gives Mary a provider and Jesus protection as a father. This week open your heart to some of the dilemmas that cross your life which are not always understood, and appear to have no good options. God finds a way to get us through if we journey to the crib, like Joseph, with unflinching love.    
 
 In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob
 

Advent:  It's a Wonderful Life

One movie that gets much air time during the month of December is, It’s a Wonderful Life. The film is a non-cynical exploration of the power of ordinary people to help each other. It renders happiness among neighbors, and a film that few people throw away or discard but watch in the days leading up to Christmas. The characters in the movie are appealing as they realize their finances are as connected as their love. Like James Stewart who plays George Bailey in the film, sometimes we all need an angel to make us aware of the way the world would be if we never existed; especially whenever we feel overwhelmed or frustrated in the manner that life is treating us. The film points out the good that people do that often is unnoticed by the do-gooder. 

Today the church celebrates the 2^nd Sunday of Advent as two lighted candles that represent hope and peace glow from the Advent wreath. This awakens memories that the light of Christ is seeping into a world of darkness. These candles put into our minds that it is a “Wonderful Life”. The scriptures challenge us to consider our readiness to accept a God who constantly calls forth opportunities that make life wonderful. Like Mr. Potter played by Lionel Barrymore in It’s a Wonderful Life, it is common to ignore opportunities that open up uncharted ways of life through actions that would enhance the life of another in that many settle into modes of existence that make them stale and worn out. This Sunday’s scriptures point to the preaching of John the Baptist who invites us to “Repent and prepare the way of the Lord” in homes, neighborhoods, places of employment and even schools which reminds us that the Christian way is rarely neat and tidy. This may cause a bit of anxiety as it is common to persuade others to take this path, but difficult to do it oneself. Sometimes we must also take the example of John the Baptist who declares that he is not the Christ, but a voice crying out in the dessert, “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” It is common for many to approach this month with belief that they are the Savior with extraordinary attempts to please family, friends and co-workers, which is rarely attained and does not make life so wonderful.   

Advent is a season to embrace a multiplicity of ways to live out our faith that propels us to spiritual growth which prohibits road blocks from preventing the work of the Holy Spirit. It also thrusts forth a spiritual life enhanced with comprehension to do the will of God. Catholic people are not called to be robots; but, thinking, feeling, caring, and deciding servants within a community. Advent invites us to blend courtesy and common sense into worship, which bonds a community into courses of action that “Prepare the way of the Lord.”  This gives rise to a number of ways to express the teachings of Christ rather than one way as the only way or right way that navigates us to question the plausibility of particular beliefs in order to articulate the meaning of the “Coming of the Lord” to a culture saturated with advertisements that eliminate Christ from Christmas. 

This weekend’s 1^st reading from Isaiah 11:1-10 drives forth a beautiful image of traditional enemies becoming reconciled, and a return to paradise where perfect justice and peace will reign. Although this appears unattainable in the world in that there are so many homes, nations, and even houses of worship in conflict, the prophet’s vision is a peaceful one that calls us to generate a society of inclusion so different than the one we currently inhabit. Advent suggests that we place the unanticipated need of another over personal priorities in that charitable acts are easy to perform when we are idle and waiting for an opportunity to do good; however, a life oriented to sudden and critical needs throughout busy moments of a day makes this quite challenging. Advent invites is to strive to work toward enhancing virtues of kindness, generosity, and care toward those who live in darkness, which envisions us to see that life is indeed wonderful. 

In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob

Advent:  Living in the Moment

A man asked a student who was tutored by a wise teacher, “What did your professor give the greatest importance to in life?” The student responded, “To whatever he happened to be doing at the moment.”  This weekend marks the start of a new church year with the Season of Advent. Advent invites us to free ourselves from the anxieties of life and discover paths to follow so that we live in the moment rather than in the disturbances of the past or uneasiness of the future.
 
Advent launches the beginning of a new church year that uses Matthew’s Gospel as its primary source throughout the year with Advent also grasping messages from the prophet Isaiah. The initial weeks of Advent focus on the Second coming of Christ, which gradually gives way to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Matthew’s Gospel induces much surprise into the Season as it challenges believers to experience these weeks as more than a cultural countdown to Christmas. Unlike most Advents, this year imparts four complete weeks of the season since Christmas falls on a Sunday. This weekend’s readings invite us to live in the present rather than with preoccupation over useless endeavors.     
 
Advent is one of the most perplexing church seasons as cultural demands lull most away from spiritual longings that underline the Season. Advent is a penitential season that draws the parish to set aside Monday evenings for the Sacrament of Penance as well as celebrations of 1^st penance for our young children. The Advent Wreath is a significant symbol of the Season as a new candle is lighted each week to note the coming of the birth of Jesus. On the First Sunday of Advent the wreath is blessed and lit after the prayers of the faithful while in oncoming weeks the candle is lighted either prior to mass or during the penitential rite. It is also inspirational to have an Advent Wreath in the home to mark the journey to Christmas as well as a reminder that we are in Advent, not the Christmas Season.
 
To live in the moment is to open hearts that generate a home for the Christ-child, which calls forth daily effort to navigate our spiritual life throughout Advent even though we know that Jesus has already come. This makes Advent a season to “Climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah 2:3. There is an old cartoon from The New Yorker that displays two people in a dungeon without windows or doors. The two men stand with hands, feet and necks chained to the wall. In the cartoon one man leans over the other and says, “Here’s my plan…”  Many of us feel manacled to the wall during this Season even though our liturgies engender plans that awaken us to the gifts of peace and hope that lead us toward Christmas; yet, our culture saps much energy out of us with demands that may be fun-filled but add pressure to life. This lends itself to make us wonder if we have the durability to get through Advent as many of us feel chained to the wall. The Advent Season preaches the perennial ability of people to hope against all that may chain them to the wall; therefore, hope permeates the season.
 
Living in the moment renders openness to the way God comes in unexpected ways that permit us to enjoy life by focusing on the present. Opportunities to hold open a door for another while shopping, an affirming comment at a checkout register, and patience on crowded highways or city streets displays the presence of Christ in life. The ability to welcome Jesus in the chores within the season initiates awareness to our actions, which dismisses any seasonal frustration, which leads to a happier and fuller life rather than tensions or undue stress. This awakens us to needs of others so that we do not fall asleep to immediate concerns that grasp our attention.
 
Today the church thrusts forth a new season, Advent. Strive to see it as a time to live in the moment so that you are not stuck in the past or anxious about the future, but envision it as an opportunity to become immersed in activities that build a home for the savior.

In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob
 
 

Happy Thanksgiving

 A Complaint Free World written by Will Bowen, a motivational speaker, lays out a plan for people to stop complaining and start enjoying life. The author writes that when a person falls into negativity it does little good, but a word of gratitude can make someone’s day. The book leads us to believe that the only permanent constructive change people can make in the world are the changes that a person makes in oneself.
 
This Thursday our nation celebrates a day that renders an opportunity to give thanks in a special way that most national holidays cannot equal, Thanksgiving. The parish highlights this national holiday through the celebration of Eucharist, which bonds families, visitors, and individuals in an assortment of ways to express gratitude, not complaints, to God for all the blessings bestowed upon us. There is something special about a Thanksgiving liturgy in that the gratitude expressed through words, song, and reflection impel feelings and emotions that thrust a bundle of love into life and graces gained through living each day. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek, eukaristein, which means Thanksgiving.
 
Thanksgiving invites families to be together for a shared meal with affirming conversation and gratitude in that so often families hurry to eat, race past each other, and forget about the blessings of each member; therefore, it promotes unity, which encourages everyone at table to see Christ in each other regardless of personal differences. Thanksgiving also offers the opportunity to give thanks for all that is important and good in life, and to thank those around us for all that they mean to us, and the importance of particular family members and friends. This makes the holiday not necessarily about a particular food that is eaten, but about giving thanks to God for all that is cherished. 
 
Since our country is a nation settled by those who recognized God as their provider, the root of Thanksgiving Day is blended into this festive gathering of scrumptious food. The original Thanksgiving meal generated strength as well as moral and ethical muscle for those who welcomed entry into their new homeland. I believe the Covid virus reinvigorated people in our nation to drift away from some of the secular that was beginning to overshadow the spirit of Thanksgiving as it reminded us of the importance of people in our lives rather than a kick off to Christmas shopping and “holiday” festivities so that the thought of being grateful and helping others is never lost. At most Thanksgiving liturgies we hear that beautiful passage from Luke’s Gospel of the Ten Lepers. The passage demonstrates the way Jesus highlights the need to give thanks as an important ingredient of Christian existence in that it helps cement relationships with God and others.
 
Thanksgiving leads me to give thanks for the simple things that are customarily taken for granted which does not leave out life itself. Here I would include the air I breathe, the opportunities of each day, people I enjoy, and the community at St. Patrick that bonds me closer to God. I also thank God for the personal gifts that pertain to values, wisdom, health, and faith that is easy to take for granted; however, I also give thanks for the lessons in life God has taught me through difficult times that propelled me to take the road less traveled.
 
This week the parish invites you to two Thanksgiving celebrations; on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. the annual Ecumenical Service sponsored by the clergy of Chatham Boro and Township welcome you to an evening consisting of prayer and fellowship with the reading of scripture, reflection, song, and fellowship that engenders the spirit of “giving thanks” to all in the community of different faith traditions. This is held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Main Street in Chatham next to the library. On Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 a.m., St. Patrick Church celebrates the annual Thanksgiving Liturgy, and brings back the tradition that provides a blessed loaf of bread to all families. May Thanksgiving awaken memories of the precious gift of people who make life joyful and wonderful as well as God who sustains us through the unforeseen challenges that await each day.

In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob
 
 

One Body in Christ

 A man was resting on the couch watching football when his wife entered the room and mentioned that their son needed $200 for a donation toward his school’s sports program. The man gave her $200. Later that day his son hugged him and thanked him for the generous $50 donation he gave to the school. The next day the school principal sent a text to the man to thank him for the $10 donation toward the sports program at the school.
 
 Over the weekend of October 29/30 the parish celebrated the “in pew” version of the annual Diocesan Ministries Appeal. I thank so many who throughout the past two months have made donations to the Appeal as well as all who donated during the “In Pew” weekend. Sometimes it is difficult to make a sacrificial donation to Appeals of this nature in that like the boy and his mom, we wish to hold back something for ourselves. There are certain material goods in my life that would be difficult to surrender even if I knew the recipient would find better means for it then I. In case you were away over the weekend of October 29/30 there is still an opportunity to contribute to the Appeal that supports the pastoral work of the Diocese of Paterson.
 
The theme for this year’s Appeal is: “One Body in Christ.” In past years the parish has been generous to the Appeal as last year the Diocese received over $98,000 from St. Patrick Church. Pledges made to the Appeal are used to help fund day-to-day operations of the Diocese that include Catholic Charities agencies, seminarian education, inner-city area schools, and Nazareth Village (the retirement residence for priests).     
 
Catholic Charities agencies receives the largest chunk of funds, which is distributed to the following: Day care and extended day care for working poor families, assisted transportation for the elderly and medically frail, individual and family counseling, emergency food banks, adult care for economically disadvantaged seniors, housing and case management for adults and children with HIV/AIDS, group homes for adults with disabilities, family support and case-management for families with developmentally and intellectually disabled adults, and outreach, housing support, and food for Veterans.. 
 
In addition to Catholic Charities, funds from the appeal go to Catholic Schools (we recently applied for a grant from the Appeal), including capital improvements such as roof replacement, HVAC upgrades, interior lighting and exterior doors. The Appeal also helps fund financial aid to assist families to afford Catholic Education, technology upgrades to enhance academic programs offered in the schools and support of school activities such as music, art and sports that give a well-rounded educational experience.
 
As the year 2022 slowly nears an end, it is an opportune time to make a year-end charitable donation. The Appeal also generates funds back to the parish for our own needs. The goal for St. Patrick Church is $62,000. If the parish attains this goal, 50% of funds collected over this amount are returned to St. Patrick Church, which makes it is easy to see that the Diocesan Ministries Appeal is not just another collection, but it is a time that all members of the Diocese are asked to make a sacrificial gift to assist our Diocese meet the spiritual, educational, and temporal needs of many people. Charitable gifts may be made by check, credit cards, securities or online at: www.2022appeal.org.
 
Like the boy and his mom who feared giving all, it is easy for us to do likewise. If you have not responded to the Appeal in past years, or hesitate to provide a sacrificial gift this year, ask yourself one question, “Am I giving back an amount that adequately represents my gratitude for what God has given me?”   
 
In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob

Duty, Honor, Country

 Next Friday, November 11 our nation celebrates Veterans Day, which pays tribute to millions of living Veterans for their dedicated and loyal service to our country; as well as deceased Veterans. The theme for Veterans Day 2022 is “Honor.” One foundation that renders “honor” into the life of Veterans is DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Each year it provides free services assisting Veterans with countless claims to obtain benefits they earned as a result of their service. This group also renders assistance that not only addresses physical injuries, but also the needs of the Veteran upon return home from physical to emotional to economic well-being. These activities make us reflect upon the way we treat our present day Veterans.
 
  Veterans are proud men and women who look back on their years in the military aware that it was a timeframe in life where God used them to defend our nation and many distant lands aware that their duty to God and country could engender much suffering and sacrifice in that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world. Most Veterans will say that when they leave the military, they are better citizens than when they arrived. I have great respect for Veterans in that they are willing to put their lives on the line for the protection of others; however, disabled Veterans can be easily ignored without others giving thought that their disabilities signify personal sacrifice. Some of these disabilities include blindness, missing body parts, brain damage, and other sorts of unfavorable conditions that lull them away from a style of life that they hoped to experience upon return from military service. These are many of the unsung heroes of our nation. DAV assists these Veterans with transportation to and from VA hospitals coupled with attempts to assist disabled Veterans back into civilian life through counseling and guidance. DAV also helps Veterans make this transition with employment opportunities as it co-sponsors the All Veterans Career Fairs, which connects Veterans with employers who seek to hire men and women that have served in the military.
 
Each day many Veterans face a new battle that challenges them to reshape their lives in order to live with their disabilities; as well as learn unfamiliar methods of existing that could lead to new careers and daily survival. Unknowing to many of these men and women is that Veteran’s Day is also the feast day of St. Martin of Tours who is the patron saint of soldiers. As a baptized Catholic, Martin was greatly opposed to the execution of heretics; and, became a model for those in the armed forces who carry out humanitarian responsibilities. Veterans Day goes back to the end of World War I with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, which came in the aftermath of the burial of two unknown soldiers at the highest place of honor in England, Westminster Abbey. In a ceremony held on November 11, 1918 at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, this day became known as Armistice Day. The United States adopted this day and placed the remains of an American soldier from World War I in Arlington National Cemetery to symbolize our nations respect for American soldiers. This lead the United States to formally approve Armistice Day as a holiday in 1926; however, on June 1, 1954 the day was renamed to Veterans Day, which called forth honor to all Veterans who served in the military in a document signed by President Eisenhower.
 
Most American people are not directly touched by war. This makes it difficult to grasp the depth of sacrifice that is made by those in the armed forces; however, there are promising signs in the public’s attitude toward Veterans as so often at an assortment of sporting events a particular Veteran is honored prior to the game. Veterans Day is a time to ponder the achievements of Veterans, and give affirmation to those who served in our military. Today millions of courageous men and women continue to serve our land with hope that our country perseveres to be the land of the free and home of the brave. To all Veterans and Military Personnel, the prayers of this community are with you.

In Christ's Love,
Fr. Bob