Dear Parishioners:
As you know, we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11th. Veterans Day dates back to the end of World War I, the “war to end all wars.” Word War I ended officially at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It was originally known as “Armistice Day” since the war officially ended with the signing of the treaty or armistice. The actual signing of the treaty took place 7 months later, on June 28, 1919 in Versailles, France. In 1938, a Congressional Act made November 11th a legal holiday: “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to thereafter to be celebrated and known as Armistice Day.” In 1954 the name was changed to Veterans Day. In 1971, in accord with the “Uniform Monday Holiday Act,” Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October. However, in 1978, Veterans Day was moved back to its original celebration on November 11th.
In many churches, on the Sunday nearest to Veterans Day, our veterans are often asked to stand and be acknowledged for their service to God and country. I am always very touched by the warm reception our veterans receive from our people. It is good to know that our veterans are appreciated here in our churches, synagogues, and mosques. While I realize that far too many people see Veterans Day as a shopping day with special sales, I am very happy to see we do not do that at our places of worship.
Remember: Together, we can do something beautiful for God.
In Christ,
Fr. Brian
PS: Some Veteran Fun Facts:
+ 20.4 million living veterans in the U.S., representing less than 10% of the population
771,000 World War II Veterans
1,600,000 Korean-War Veterans
6,800,000 Vietnam War Veterans
7,100,000 Gulf War era Veterans (August 1990 – present)
4,129,000 Veterans who served in peacetime (largely 1974 – 1990)
+ 7% of U.S. adults who are veterans (down from 18% in 1980)
+ 9% of veterans who are women, projected to increase to 18% by 2045
Many restaurants offer FREE MEALS to veterans on Veterans’ Day. You can “google” various restaurants to find out. Here is a partial list: Applebees, White Castle, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wendy’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks. I would double-check their websites because there are some restrictions.
PSS: As I write this letter, it is Wednesday morning, so the Presidential election has been decided. Whether you voted for President Trump or not, we should all be praying for him and for all our newly elected officials. Pray that they will enact laws based on the dignity of all human persons. Sadly, Proposition 1 passed in New York State. We will have to see how terrible it will be for the Church and our Catholic hospitals in the future.