Serving Those Who Have Served

I come from a family of veterans of all branches of military service. My grandfather served in World War I. My father, along with two uncles, served in World War II. I have other relatives who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. All of them served honorably, but all of their experiences varied. One uncle was captured by the Nazis in World War II and spent time in Stalag XIII-D near Nuremburg, Germany. Another uncle was severely wounded in Vietnam. My father was injured prior to being deployed to Europe and never saw combat. Other family members served during peace time.

All of these family members returned home and received support from their family. The struggles they faced may not have been understood completely, but the support they received allowed them to readjust to their local surroundings by finding gainful employment and healing.

At Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, we see a lot of veterans that don’t have family support when they return. They struggle with physical challenges, PTSD, and other mental health concerns. They come to our doors broken and needing help. We are here to serve and to lift them to the dignity of self-reliance. We welcome them as a part of our Catholic Charities’ family.

Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph is proud to employ a number of veterans who have their own struggles. Some of them will share their story within this newsletter, while others prefer to serve our veterans with little fanfare. As they did in service to their country, they serve their fellow veterans honorably each day and ask for no accolades. We are proud of their service to our country and to us.

As we remember and pray for the souls of our deceased veterans this Memorial Day, let us recall the sacrifices they made to protect the freedoms we enjoy each day. Let us remember in prayer all those veterans who struggle each day with mental, physical, and emotional scars remaining from their time of service.

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.