Veterans Day and St. Martin’s Day

My Dear Parishioners,

You may or may not know this, but every year parishes are asked to count the number of parishioners who are coming to Mass. This is called the “October Count.”

The numbers are in for our parish, and the numbers are really good. Every Mass is averaging at least 100 people: the 5:00 Vigil averages 116; 7:30AM averages 105; 9:30AM averages 109; 11:30AM averages 127.

These are very good numbers, and they show that we are still a strong parish with a great future. Anyone want to help plan the 200^th Anniversary?

I wish to thank everyone who supported the Baby Bottle Drive and the Monthly Food Drive. I also wish to thank everyone who will be supporting our Diaper Drive. These are not only opportunities to help our neighbors in need, but they are also opportunities to offer up our generosity for the good of our own souls and for the souls of the Faithfully Departed.

This weekend we welcome Ryan Scanvicky to our parish for the 2024-2025 St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Appeal. Ryan is in his third year of college seminary at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He is a seminarian for the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The Diocese of Greensburg is one of the eight Dioceses of Pennsylvania, the others being the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Dioceses of Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton, Altoona-Johnstown, Pittsburgh, and Erie.

Ryan grew up in Immaculate Conception Parish in Irwin, PA, where he was a very active parishioner from a very young age. After two years at Franciscan University, where he also played baseball, he entered St. Charles Seminary. We welcome Ryan this weekend, and we promise our support and our prayers for him and for all of our seminarians at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

This Monday, November 11, is Veteran’s Day. It is also St. Martin’s Day. I am including an interesting article from Philip Kolaski from Aleteia Website on the connection between Veteran’s Day and St. Martin’s Day.

A Prayer for Veterans:

Heavenly Father, bless our veterans and all who serve our nation defending our freedom.

For those who bravely gave their lives, richly reward them for their sacrifice and service and grant them a place in Your Kingdom.

For those who are serving, give them courage. Send St. Michael to protect them and to grant success to their missions so that they may safely return home to us.

For those who served, also richly reward them for their sacrifice and service. Give relief to those whose memories and bodies were scarred by war. Send Your Angels and Saints into the homes of all veterans and command those Angels and Saints to watch over them and their families.

Grant a conversion of all hearts to the Sacred Heart of Your Son, Jesus, so that no more wars will be needed.

We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The liturgical connection between Veterans Day and St. Martin’s Day

Aleteia — Catholic Spiritualit Lifestyle, World News, and Culture Philip Kosloski – published on 11/10/17

World War I ended on November 11, 1918, when an armistice with Germany was signed, creating an immediate ceasefire. The “War to End All Wars” ended on that day and it began a new chapter in Europe, hoping that peace would prevail.

The yearly anniversary of the day would later, in 1938, be ratified in law as a legal holiday and was intended to be “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’ … primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.” By 1954 the holiday was widened to include all veterans and became known simply as “Veterans Day.”

What’s interesting is how Veterans Day, a day dedicated to soldiers, falls each year (unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday) on the day in the Church’s calendar honoring St. Martin, patron saint of soldiers.

St. Martin’s Day

St. Martin was a Christian Roman soldier of the 4th century, who was part of a cavalry unit stationed in France. He served in the military for many years, but at a certain point was convinced that he longer should shed blood and instead work for peace. St. Martin famously said to his commander, “I have served you as a soldier; now let me serve Christ. Give the bounty to those who are going to fight. But I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.”

He later became a bishop and served the Church for many years before dying on November 8, 397. The feast celebrating his life has been commemorated on November 11 for centuries and Martin has always been known as a strong intercessor for soldiers. The fact that Germany laid down its arms on a day in the Church’s calendar that celebrates a saint who laid down his arms, choosing a life of peace rather than war, may seem like a remarkable coincidence. But the armistice timing was chosen deliberately — scheduled for the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For centuries, St. Martin’s Day (also known as Martinmas) had marked a time of new beginnings in Europe — a new school term, new wine is tasted, the first day of rental agreements, and the date when debts were paid. What better day to mark a new beginning of peace?

Was St. Martin behind it all, interceding for the end of World War I? Or was that part just a “coincidence”? Heaven only knows!