Recognizes Nation’s debt to brave men and women of U.S. Armed Forces
WASHINGTON, D.C. – His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, issued the following statement on the occasion of All Souls’ Day.
Archbishop Broglio said:
“Traditionally, November is a month when the Church calls us to reflect on the last timesand to remember all of those who have gone before us. We celebrate their contributions to our lives and we remember that who we are also makes us debtors to those whose lives have touched ours. We pause and pray for them.
“All Souls’ Day offers us that special occasion to pray for our deceased loved ones. Is it not also a propitious opportunity to pray for those who have served our Nation? We enjoy great freedom in the United States. Who has put his or her life on the line to preserve it for us?
“The annual celebration of Veterans Day on November 11th invites us to remember those killed in the line of duty, those still suffering from the effects of their generous response in the hour of national need, and, of course, everyone who has retired from active duty.
“We cannot forget the sacrifices of so many. Let us remember them all in our prayers.”
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The Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) was created as an independent archdiocese by Pope John Paul II in 1985 as the only Catholic jurisdiction responsible for endorsing and granting faculties for priests to serve as chaplains in the U.S. military and VA Medical Centers.
AMS-endorsed priests serve at more than 220 U.S. military installations in 29 countries, making the AMS the nation’s only global archdiocese. AMS-endorsed priests also serve at 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the U.S.
The AMS service population also includes American Catholic civilians working for the federal government in 134 countries, but currently, due to limited resources, the AMS cannot adequately serve this population.
Worldwide, an estimated 1.8 million Catholics depend on the AMS to meet their spiritual and sacramental needs.
For more information on the Archdiocese for the Military Services, visit www.milarch.org, the only official Web site for Catholics in the military and for the Cause of Father Vincent Capodanno, M.M.
