|
Download PDF The Armed Forces Sabbath In 1966, the Naval Reserve Association, in cooperation with the Department of the Navy and national religious leaders, established the Navy Sabbath. The observance took place on the weekend nearest the Navy Birthday, October 27. The Navy Sabbath was established to portray the positive human traits of people serving in the military since Vietnam antiwar demonstrators were creating undeserved negative impressions of Americans in the armed services. Captain Ted Hammond, an active member of Holy Cross-Immaculata Parish and the Naval Reserve, organized the first Navy Sabbath with Fr. Larry Strittmatter from Elder High School and Fr. Joe Van Leeuwen, Pastor at Immaculata. The inaugural service at Immaculata occurred in October of 1972. Captain Hammond was involved in the event until he and his wife Jeanne left the parish in 2002. Immaculata Church was the venue and sponsor of this regional Cincinnati event which was centered around the 11:00 Sunday community mass. The first Sabbath was attended by several dozen uniformed military members and their families. Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk, then a Bishop, spoke at several of the services in the early 1970s. The Naval Reserve Association moved the date to the weekend before Veterans Day in 1979 and changed the name to the Armed Forces Sabbath to recognize members of the other Armed Services and welcome their participation. Active duty, retired and reserve members of all the uniformed services now participate in the Sabbath and military chaplains of all denominations have shared the ministry. Admirals, Generals and Bishops frequently participate and some attendees come from out of state. Many military organizations, including ROTC programs at Xavier and UC, are now involved. Attendees approaching Immaculata will see the flags of most of the participating organizations flying along Guido Street. The service begins with an entrance procession of uniformed military members accompanied by a bagpiper and drummer. In 2008 the presentation of colors was performed by Brigadier General Tom O’Brien USAR, an HCI parishioner. The Elder High School Glee Club, involved since 1972, sings the National Anthem and the mass begins. A chaplain’s reception follows in the Parish Center. Lt. Commander Ralph Popp USNR now organizes and plans the event. As the Sabbath approaches its fortieth birthday in 2012, Ted Hammond's original objective for the Sabbath still rings true - “To remember those who have preserved our freedom for over 200 years and to seek spiritual support for the members of the Military and Navy-Marine Corps team and their families.” The 2009 Armed Forces Sabbath is celebrated on November 8. - Jim Steiner
About Archbishop Purcell The founding patron of Holy Cross-Immaculata was a colorful personality. Archbishop John Baptist Purcell was born in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland, educated at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary near Emmitsburg, Maryland and installed in his bishopric at the cathedral in Cincinnati on November 14, 1833, the day of his arrival on the steamboat Emigrant. The Archbishop’s credits included securing more clergy for the diocese, arranging with the Jesuits to establish St. Xavier College (now Xavier University) and building the present cathedral. The Archbishop seemed to enjoy even better rapport with his German congregations than his fellow Irish. Though he wrestled with the Germans over their preference to have parish boards elect and dismiss their pastors, he admired the Germans’ faith, steadiness, patience and frugality. He found the Irish disorderly and intemperate, especially at wakes, to the extent that he sought to discourage wakes and to limit the number of carriages at funerals. His frequent reminders in the diocesan paper suggest that the Irish did not fully abide by his directive. Perhaps, the Archbishop’s respect for his German flock accounted for his provision of the ground, stone and $10,000 of funding for the creation of an Immaculata parish that served a largely German population. - Ed Adams Source: Fortin, Faith and Action, History of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati 1821-1996 |
