The Journey Continues

BY BISHOP JOSEPH COFFEY

As readers of the Salute magazine know, one of my responsibilities as the Vicar for Veterans Affairs for the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) is to make pastoral visits to the Catholic priestchaplains who staff the over 150 VAMCs (Veterans Affairs Medical Centers) around our great country. In late September, I was able to visit the priests who serve our Veterans in the western New York and Finger Lakes regions in Buffalo, Batavia, Canandaigua, and Bath. It is a beautiful area of the country, and I was fortunate to have blue skies with sunny and warm weather; perfect for late summer. At the Buffalo, New York VAMC, I concelebrated Mass with priest-chaplains Father Jim Bastian and Father Joe Porpiglia, as well as members of the medical staff. I then had the great privilege of attending the grand opening of a new VA Cemetery in Corfu, New York,

along with clergy members of different denominations including: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Orthodox, and a Native American spiritual leader. We each said prayers from our faith traditions. I blessed the ground with Father Jim Bastian and Father Dan Serbicki, a local priest from the Diocese of Buffalo, the Vicar of Genesee and Wyoming Counties. L-R: FATHER JIM BASTIAN, BISHOP JOSEPH COFFEY,

FATHER DAN SERBICKI AT THE NEW NATIONAL

The Department of Veterans CEMETERY IN CORFU, NEW YORK. Affairs National Cemetery Administration maintains 151 National Cemeteries in 43 States and Puerto Rico. There are some 96,000 Veterans in the Buffalo area. Before this new cemetery was established, the nearest National Cemetery was in Bath, New York, which is 100 miles away. For many Veterans, their preference is to be laid to rest with their buddies in a National

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BISHOP COFFEY (SECOND FROM RIGHT) WITH LOCAL CLERGY BLESSING A NEW NATIONAL CEMETERY IN CORFU, NY ON 24 SEPTEMBER 2020.

ARCHITECTURAL RENDITION FOR NEW NATIONAL CEMETERY, BY LA GROUP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN.

Cemetery and now with the new one just opened in Corfu, New York, it will be much closer for them and their families. A cemetery is holy ground for all faiths. Being able to represent Archbishop Broglio and the AMS by participating in the blessing, at this rare event, was very special for me.

On 23 September, I visited the VAMC in Bath, New York with Father Jim Jaeger, a part-time VA Chaplain and pastor at the local parish of St. John Vianney. Providentially, on the same day as my visit to the VAMC in Bath, Father Jaeger invited me to join him and his parishioners for an evening prayer service honoring St. Pius of Pietrelcina aka St. Padre Pio.

Traveling can be tiring sometimes, but one of the benefits is seeing our beautiful country. On this trip, I was able to see the majestic Niagara Falls. On my way to Bath, I drove by the Bully Hill Winery overlooking one of the famous Finger Lakes of upstate New York. I had visited that winery with my brother Tom 40 years ago when he was a student at Cornell University. I never thought I would come back one day as a Bishop. V

TOP PHOTO: L-R: FATHER JIM BASTIAN, BISHOP JOSEPH COFFEY, FATHER JOE PORPIGLIA AFTER MASS AT THE VAMC BUFFALO, NY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020.

BOTTOM PHOTO: BISHOP JOSEPH COFFEY WITH MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION FROM BUFFALO, NY.

Year-End Thanks and Gratitude

BY MARY LAVIN

Year-end giving campaigns are the focus of most non-profit organizations at this time of year. On behalf of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, instead I want to take this opportunity to express heartfelt year-end thanks and gratitude.

Knowing that it relies on private donations to continue and expand its ministries, a SPECIAL THANKS goes to the individuals, couples, families, foundations, and organizations who made a one-time gift or grant to the AMS this year. To the almost 800 monthly donors, and others who made multiple donations throughout the year, THANK YOU for providing a sustained source of funding for the AMS, especially given the uncertainty of the last nine months.

To those who returned a card with personal intentions to be remembered by Archbishop Broglio, or as a way to participate in the combined Annual Memorial Mass and Mass for Father Capodanno, THANK YOU for trusting the AMS with your needs or struggles, and of those you love.

To those who remembered AMS clergy and co-sponsored seminarians in their prayers, THANK YOU for recognizing the importance of their strength and well-being so as to be able to provide much needed pastoral care and a personal presence to the men, women, and families they serve or will serve.

A SPECIAL THANKS is also extended to those who forwarded a copy of Salute, monthly issue of e-TTENTION, or an AMS news release to a friend or neighbor not familiar with the ministry of the AMS provided to Catholic military families. The AMS is grateful to those who requested Honor/Memorial envelopes as a personalized way to remember a loved one or celebrate a special occasion. Even after 35 years, in many ways the AMS is still a best kept secret that desperately needs to be shared!

To those who took the time to listen to one or more of the AMS podcasts produced this year, THANK YOU for your interest in continuing to learn about the unique and varied aspects of the mission of the Archdiocese through interviews and conversation with members of the AMS faithful, clergy, and staff. And, for those who may have missed them, you still have the opportunity at www. milarch.org/podcast.

Finally, THANK YOU to those who have established a charitable gift annuity or AMS Donor Advised Fund, or have named the AMS as a beneficiary of a will, life insurance policy, IRA, or retirement account for the AMS.THANKYOU for choosing to make a legacy.

As the year comes to a close, a year like no other in our history, there is a great deal for which to be thankful and many blessings to be remembered. Looking ahead to 2021, THANK YOU for your continued prayers, generosity, and participation in the only mission and ministry of its kind. V

Merry Christmas!