Community offers prayers for the fallen during Memorial Day service at Mt. Calvary Cemetery

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis gives his Memorial Day homily.

SALT LAKE CITY —Bishop Oscar A. Solis was the main celebrant of the traditional Memorial Mass at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, held this year on May 29. Con-celebrating the Mass were Msgr. Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general; Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus; Father Martin Diaz, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine; Msgr. Joseph Mayo, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish; Father Dominic Thuy Dang Ha, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Hope Parish; Father Andrzej Skrzypiec, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish; Dominican Father Dominic Briese, chaplain of St. Joseph Catholic High School; Msgr. Robert Servatius, retired; and Father Hernando Diaz, retired. Deacon John Kranz and Deacon George Reade assisted.

About 200 people attended the Mass, which was held outdoors under clear skies.

“We gather today as a nation, taking the day off to be able to remember those men and women in military service who fought for our country and gave up their lives that we might enjoy freedom and peace,” Bishop Solis said in his homily. “So we are here to remember our fallen heroes, as well as those who are still living, fighting for freedom and peace –  to honor, pay respect, and pray for our honored dead.”

In the celebration of the Mass, “we recall the sacrifices of the brave soldiers who endured hardship, suffering and death for our nation and for all of us,” the bishop said. “They left the comforts of their home, underwent the rigors of training, and valiantly went to any place in the world where they are needed in order to defend freedom and uphold peace. For this reason, we keep them close in our thoughts, in our hearts and our prayers, with deep gratitude for their selfless sacrifice.”

The families of the military members also sacrificed “to help us gain what we enjoy today,” he said, adding that the celebration gives the community an awareness of their special relationship as a family  and a common bond as fellow citizens.

“The bond of humanity cannot be broken by death,” the bishop said. “As citizens of this country and citizens of heaven, our spiritual bond is deeper because we belong to the communion of the saints, the communion of both the living and the dead.”

The celebration also served as a reminder of principles such as courage, commitment, dedication and service for the good of others, Bishop Solis continued. “We are grateful for the legacy of our beloved women and men in the military who gave up their lives for us in the name of freedom and peace. Their lives, their actions and their sacrifices teach us generosity of spirit, selflessness and sacrifice that are essential in making our world a better place to live.”

The Mass was a celebration to show appreciation and honor the nation’s fallen soldiers, and to pray for them, “and all those still living, serving in every part of the world,” he said. “We lovingly remember each and every one of them for their great sacrifice, but to us is passed on the responsibility to safeguard the freedom and peace they fought and paid for with their life. My dear friends, we may not be called to military life or to be soldiers; however, as Christian believers and great citizens of this nation, each one of us is called to contribute to the peace in our country and peace in our world. As believers in Christ, we are called to be peacemakers. … As God’s children, we must always seek peace, live in harmony with each other and build a nation where justice reigns. … Always remember, when there is peace, where human dignity is upheld, when people of every race, religion and cultural background can gather with mutual respect and harmony, it is only then that we give justice to the sacrifices of the men and women in the military service who gave up their lives for us. Only then can we fittingly celebrate this Memorial Day.”