Veterans Day, and Catholic civil service

Greetings and happy Veteran’s Day! There are 18 million living veterans in the United States, and 4.3 million of them (23%) are Catholic, including military priest chaplains. Catholics also make up 23% of the general population. So Catholics have served in the armed forces at an equal rate with everyone else. That’s impressive and something to be proud of!

​I want to take the opportunity also to note the many ways Catholics contribute to our nation. Here's a few examples:

• The Catholic health care network is the nation’s largest nonprofit health network. 541 Catholic hospitals assist 94.5 million patients every year. One in six patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital. The network also includes 438 Catholic health centers, 1,389 long-term care homes, 105 homes for children, and 853 day care centers.
• Catholic Charities is the nation’s largest charitable network, helping 13 million people each year with over four billion dollars of services. Last year, over 2,500 agencies served 44 million meals, provided disaster relief to 363,000 people, completed over 3,000 adoptions, provided more than 129,000 mothers with pregnancy support, and supported 22,700 children through Head Start. Over 3,700 clients received GED services, more than 65,000 received employment services, over 525,000 were helped with housing services, and 10,200 beds were provided at shelters.
• The Catholic Legal Immigration Network is the nation’s largest charitable legal service network. Last year, over 325,000 clients received immigration services, nearly 70,000 refugees were helped, and over 15,000 hours of English instruction was provided to immigrants.
• The U.S. Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services is the world’s largest refugee agency, helping more than 20,000 individuals resettle in U.S. dioceses each year.
• Catholic school enrollment is nearly two million. 20% of these students are racial minorities. The 258 Catholic institutions of higher education in the U.S. serve 761,257 students.
• More than 60% of Catholic parishes report providing financial and social services to meet individual needs. Most parishes also offer ministries to the infirm and homebound, youth, and seniors.
• There are also many other Catholic groups, including St. Vincent de Paul societies, soup kitchens, food pantries, and others independently organized by thousands of Catholics each year.

​I think it’s important to know and be proud of these contributions to the common good! Catholics have always been on the front lines, in the military and in service to those most in need.

There's a troubling movement these days to target Catholic institutions for restrictions and punishment because we won't conform to mainstream views on sex, gender, and life in the womb. Most recently, the city of Philadelphia shut down Catholic Charities’ adoption program. The case is now before the Supreme Court. Such litigation is expensive and distracting. Catholics have shed blood like everyone else to defend our freedoms. Like everyone else, the free exercise of our religious and social mission ought to be upheld by every level of government.

​As we enter soon into a new cycle of government, please join me in praying for all those in government service. With St. Paul, let us pray “for all those who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful life, in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

​I hope now that the election is over, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity to think about how we relate to one another, what we think of each other, and how we judge one another. Many Catholics have expressed concern about Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris’ past actions toward Catholic institutions: for example, forcing pro-life pregnancy centers in California to distribute literature about where to get an abortion. I also share that concern. But I firmly believe our first civil duty is to have a spirit of goodwill as we try to work together for the common good. We need to stop just demonizing and attacking one another. Let our attitude first be one of listening and cooperation rather than hurling public accusations and profanity at one another on social media!

St. Paul puts it this way to Titus: "Remind [your flock] to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise. They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone" (Titus 3:1-3).

​To the extent that our goodwill is reciprocated and our rights upheld even in disagreements, there will be a spirit of peace, dialogue, and cooperation. If it be that Catholic institutions are coercively targeted, we'll have to defend our freedoms peacefully, and hopefully bring about reconciliation. May we always be grateful for the sacrifices of veterans who've defended them on our behalf!

​Peace and prayers to you all,

Father Ryan