On Veteran’s Day, St. Raphael Catholic School rises to the occasion, teaching their students about becoming good citizens and recognizing the many individuals who preserve the freedom that we enjoy every day. The school celebrated their fourth annual memorial services on Veterans Day with a flag raising ceremony, followed by a mass honoring all veterans and service personnel, and ended the morning with a brunch served in their honor. School Principal, Karen Udell stated that her goal, when they held their first flag raising ceremony, was to incorporate patriotic ideals in the academic content. Her goal is to “Nurture a love of and respect for God and country on the part of students, staff, and community” which is necessary to remember the price of our freedom everyday, and not just on Veterans Day. She formed a Patriotism Committee, including teaching staff Mary Beth Boland, Phyllis Martynowicz, Adelynn Bartelt, and Pat Moran. This committee developed a resource binder for the staff that included age-appropriate lessons to be incorporated within the Social Studies and reading units to prepare children for the dedications that are held twice a year on 9-11 and Veterans Day. Teachers can also use the newly dedicated Freedom Shrine as a social science teaching station.
St. Raphael students practice this recognition of our country’s sacrifices at many events throughout the year. With the installation of The Freedom Shrine in October the students have a daily example of the history of the events that have shaped the United States. And the Freedom Shrine is located so that the entire parish can view it on the weekend. In September, the entire school, local veterans and community guests attend a flag raising ceremony conducted by the Boy Scouts who attend the school. To celebrate the Marine Corps’ birthday, the St. Raphael band plays at the flag raising ceremony on November 10th at the Naperville City Hall. And just recently, the school again conducted their annual Veteran Day events.
It was a cold, windy morning on November 11th when the Knights of Columbus escorted the Reverends Mark Jendrysik, Dindo Billote and John Belmonte to the courtyard of the school. In the courtyard the Boy Scouts raised the American flag. Then the entire school community, in addition to many guests and parents, participated in the Pledge of Allegiance. A St. Raphael band ensemble, conducted by music director Christopher Bajek, played the National Anthem after the flag was raised high and flying in the brisk wind.
A mass followed which was dedicated to honor our veterans and all those currently serving our country. Reverend Jendrysik spoke about our freedoms and how special they are to all of us, every day. He spoke directly to the students about the sacrifice that these men and women have made for each and every one of us. Reverend Belmonte, called two students to the alter to help him demonstrate the similarities between a veteran and a Saint. Two of the virtues he spoke of included the mission and the teachings that inspire both to reach out and help others.
At the brunch Karen Udell thanked the veterans who attended. She introduced St. Raphael Catholic School students Samantha Valentine and Pat Laughlin who would read their freedom essays to the audience. As part of the curriculum, St. Raphael students write an essay to acknowledge the men and women who serve our country. Many students acknowledged family members and close friends. Samantha spoke about her grandfather, John Hartkop, who served in the United States Army in an artillery unit during the Korean War. Pat spoke about his personal hero, his cousin Sam Guardalabene. Sam enlisted in the Air Force when he was 18 and served from March 2004-March 2010. Pat mentioned the dedication; unity, integrity, and courage that a veteran needs to portray to serve our country. He mentioned their similarities to the 12 disciples. Commander Joseph Stubitz followed Samantha and Dan as our guest speaker that day.
Lieutenant Commander Joseph Stubitz began his naval career in 1988 when he entered the Sea and Air Mariner program (SAM) and went to basic training at Great Lakes. His first overseas deployment with his unit, Navy Cargo Handling Battalion Seven (NCHB7), was to Kuwait in 2004 and then he completed his tour as the operations officer. His current post is the Executive Officer for Navy Cargo Handling Battalion SEVEN in Great Lakes, IL. He and his wife Theresa are the proud parents of three children at St. Raphael Catholic School. Joe spoke of the sacrifices that our men and women in the services make. He remarked that the beginning of the war on the United States occurred with the attacks on September 11, 2001. Acknowledging the more than 11 million men and women who have given their lives to protect the US, he indicated that there are, “23 million living veterans and fewer than 10% of American citizens can claim the title “veteran”. He implored us to never forget the debt that we owe these men and women. Too many, in defense of our Constitution, have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Commander Stubitz also recognized a parish member in the audience, Zach Arnold, who is a Purple Heart recipient from his service in Iraq.
Some of the other guests at the Veterans Day Memorial included Walter J. Clark. Walter is 93 years old and served in World War II. He is in the Army Sigma Core and has attended the Veterans Day celebration before. Dale Strohl served in the military in 1956 and 1957. He returns again to St. Raphaels’ event because, “They do it with dignity and I love how they get the kids and veterans involved together”. Jim Duffin has been a parishioner for 20 years. He and his guest, Marie Cooper, attended for their second year and have made this dedication a must for Veterans Day. Marie commented on the tribute that the children and the parish extends that makes the veterans feel special. Louis Wegerer is a World War II veteran who served in the Army in the South Pacific. Louis came to his first St. Raphael Memorial last year and stated, “I found it such a heartwarming event; to see all the children this appreciative and I appreciate what St. Raphael has done”. This inspired Louis to write the principal after last years brunch, to thank her and her staff for their efforts. Ken Blake served in the Army in Berlin in 1961 and is a Son of the Revolution. He returns to our event this year because he is inspired by the school and the Boy Scouts. John Mullen served in the Air Force in World War II. This was his first year attending and he shared that he was very impressed by the flag raising ceremony, the mass and the school children.
One of the few woman Veterans to attend was Rita Powers and her son-in-law John Ripsky. Rita was a World War II Army nurse dietician. She served in France and cared for the men that were released from the Camp Mourmelan prisoner of war camp. Her service in France extended from 1943 through 1946. Adam Romano and his wife Shirley shared his story of serving on the USS Canberra. Adam was on the Navy battleship in World War II when it was torpedoed. He was one of the lucky men that were rescued from the water. He and Shirley were very grateful for the recognition Adam received from the Boy Scouts and students. Ken Meisinger was one of the few who had served during the Korean War. He commented how grateful he was to the St. Raphael community and how unfortunate it is that most of the children today do not know the significance of the Korean War.
One of the last Veterans that I had the pleasure of meeting was Frank J. Bernd and his wife Evelyn. They have been parishioners since 1965. They both shared the following comments, “This is such a beautiful, wonderful experience. It is nice to know the little ones are learning about the history of our veterans”. They also love how the entire school shares the Boy Scout flag raising ceremony and the mass that follows. The St. Raphael school band also delights the veterans with their tribute to the National Anthem and other patriotic songs.”
The St. Raphael community is also working on a project to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Parishioner Tony Lavarda is one of the men documenting the past through photography. He is also a Veteran and served in the US Army Corps of Engineers during 1965 through 1968. He was in Vietnam for a year in 1966-67 where he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, popularly referred to as “The Big Red One.” There, Tony commanded a platoon of combat engineers engaged in mine and jungle clearing missions in support of our Troops.
Tony is working with a team of Raphaelites to gather as much information as possible about St Raphael’s history. He welcomes the community to contact the Parish if they can contribute any type of history. They are also conducting video recording interviews with long-time and/or early parishioners for eventual viewing on the St. Raphael website. There are also plans to have a 50th anniversary photo directory.
He has attended our Veterans Day Memorial in the past and makes it a priority on this day because he is grateful to see, “God and Country honored together.” He stated, “What we do as Vets reaches from the depths of our souls. To see the kids learning that these freedoms are the right of every person on this planet is inspiring. As Americans we are ready to stand up and defend these rights, wherever, for people who yearn for these freedoms but are deprived of them.” He embraces the Scouting participation in the mass and flag raising ceremonies because of the Scouting principals that teach the boys to reach out beyond themselves. He stated, “The spirit of faith and the preservation of peace are intertwined. The Boy Scout pledge of service to others is vital to these freedoms. Outreach, peace, social justice is an integral link throughout the Catholic faith and military training”.
