Military archbishop honors, gives thanks for US veterans

Washington D.C., May 26, 2013 / 15:03 pm

The head of the military archdiocese honored veterans and those on active duty, thanking members of the armed forces and praying for all who have served in the protection of the United States.

"We gather in this Basilica of the National Shrine to the Immaculate Conception, because we want to give thanks in that perfect prayer for all of those who have served," said Archbishop Timothy Broglio at the May 19 Mass of Remembrance in Washington, D.C.

"We are able to be here in prayer, because women and men have set aside their security, their plans, their families, and what is familiar in order to serve this Nation whose foundation is based on principles."

"How can we fail to pray for those who have assured those principles throughout the 237 years of our national existence?" he asked.

The Memorial Mass was sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, and was the 19th year the archdiocese has sponsored this Mass. The archbishop served as the principal celebrant and homilist and, according to the Archdiocese two auxiliary bishops and "more than two dozen" priests and deacons concelebrated and assisted.

The Mass prayed in a particular way for the sacrifices of members of the armed services and "the families who still suffer the ravages of war."

Archbishop Broglio also offered prayers "for the fallen so that they might also dwell in the presence of the Author of all," including for those buried in Arlington National Cemetery and recent posthumous Medal of Honor recipient, Father Emil Kapaun.

In the weeks preceding the Mass, the archdiocese also "collected many petitions and request for remembrance" from around the globe.

The Archdiocese for the Military Services is responsible for the pastoral care of the nearly 2 million Catholics who serve in the United States Armed Forces, are enrolled in military academies, or are patients in VA hospitals and medical centers, as well as their families and United States civilian government personnel deployed overseas.

The archdiocese is the only body that is responsible for overseeing the military's 265 Catholic chaplains, as well as deacons and lay ministers, and helps to oversee the spiritual and sacramental life of Catholics in military service.

While all chaplains volunteer as members of the Armed Services, and are paid by the federal government, the archdiocese itself is not under the purview of the United States government.

Although it is based in the United States, it is technically considered a "mission diocese" with no borders or geographically defined territory. "Its mission is worldwide and it supports the military members and their families wherever they are assigned or deployed," the archdiocese website states.

In his homily, Archbishop Broglio reflected upon the worldwide nature of the Archdiocese's scope and its connection to the gifts of Pentecost.

Reflecting upon Christ's victory over death, the archbishop rejoiced that "Lamb of God who has taken upon Himself the sins of the world makes certain that the Church will continue to apply that victory to the concrete situation of believers everywhere."

"How important it is that such a priceless gift be assured for the men and women in harm's way," he remarked.

"It is in the celebration of penance and the Holy Eucharist that the specificity of the Catholic chaplain is made manifest. Were this Archdiocese for the Military Services to offer nothing else, providing priests for that purpose alone would justify her existence!"