Queen of Families and Queen of Peace

QUEEN OF FAMILIES

AND QUEEN OF PEACE

BY BISHOP BILL MUHM

In the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we invoke her under many titles, including Queen of Families and Queen of Peace. Military life involves two significant hardships: family separation and armed conflict. Our Lady is the mother of those who endure family separation (Queen of Families) and those who go into danger to maintain the peace (Queen of Peace).

In early August, AMS Catholics gathered for Vacation Bible School at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The children and adult leaders were all under the motherly care of Our Lady Queen of Families and Queen of Peace. Chaplain Peter Fischer and Father Brendan Mbagwu led this big effort to pull together the largest gathering of the Kadena Catholic community

CH, CAPT, BRENDAN MBAGWU, USAF WITH CHILDREN ATTENDING CATHOLIC VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AT KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA IN AUGUST 2021.

present at one time since the Covid crisis began in early 2020. One simple but very important part of their week involved praying the “Hail Mary.” When her beloved children called upon her by name, Our Lady watched over them in a place far from home and family.

On 15 August, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I celebrated Mass on the other side of the globe from Okinawa, at three locations within U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Germany. After each Mass on this beautiful day honoring Our Lady, some of the faithful gathered with me around the statue of Our Lady to pray the fourth decade of the Rosary (the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven).

continued on page 20

QUEEN OF FAMILIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

BISHOP BILL MUHM AND MEMBERS OF THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AT PATCH BARRACKS STUTTGART, GERMANY, PRAY THE 4TH GLORIOUS MYSTERY OF THE ROSARY (ASSUMPTION OF BLESSED VIRGIN MARY) AFTER MASS SUNDAY 15 AUGUST 2021.

During the rest of the Fall, under Our Lady’s motherly care, I visited AMS Catholic communities in Mons and Brussels, Belgium; Brunssum, Netherlands; Grafenwöhr, Ramstein, Ansbach, Hohenfels, and Wiesbaden, Germany; Ankara and Incirlik, Turkey; Sigonella, Vicenza, Aviano and Naples, Italy; and Moron and Rota, Spain. I also represented AMS at the International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest, Hungary.

Our Lady, Queen of Families and Queen of Peace, pray for our AMS Catholics stationed all over the globe! Thanks to our readers for your prayers and support for all of us at AMS. V