July | August 2017 VOL. 49, NO. 7 www.keenagernews.org BRINGING NEWS TO SENIORS SINCE 1969 VETERANS Honoring Veterans at New Heights Veteran Aiming to Catherine Frey Make a Difference COMMUNICATIONS INTERN PAGE 9 Veterans deserve an endless Local and National amount of gratitude. Honor Veteran Memorials Flight’s dedication to providing PAGE 12 veterans with honor and closure helps give them this. Every year, 100 YEARS the non-profit organization A Century of transports veterans to visit war Veterans Services memorials in Washington, D.C. PAGE 10 The program was designed with only one stipulation for JULY & AUGUST America’s veterans: that this BIRTHSTONE: experience be free. Ruby | Peridot In 12 years and across 45 FLOWER: states, Honor Flight has flown Larkspur | Poppy over 180,000 World War II, 7/4 Fourth of July Korean War, and Vietnam War 7/23 Parents’ Day veterans to Washington, D.C. 8/14 Victory Day Johnnie Wilmer’s Honor Flight Chicago trip to Washington, D.C. in 2014 8/15 The Assumption continued on PAGE 7 SENIOR FAITH Reflections from the Editor 44th Annual Senior Unity Mass Every July 4, we celebrate to win the Catholic Charities Thank you to everyone who America’s freedom – the prize package! Our winner attended Catholic Charities freedom that has been will be chosen on August 1. 44th Annual Senior Unity Mass so generously given to us See more information on on Thursday, June 1! It was a through the service and page 11. wonderful gathering of more sacrifice of our nation’s Enclosed in this issue you than 330 seniors in celebration of veterans. This issue provided will find an appeal envelope. faith and friendship. We hope you us with the opportunity to Whatever you can give is enjoyed the mass, luncheon, and speak with veterans across appreciated. While Keenager activities celebrating the 100th Catholic Charities sites, and News is free, your support Anniversary of Catholic Charities, I hope you are as inspired helps us with printing and including special raffles, trivia, as we are by their stories. postage. Because of readers and a photo booth! Special thank Thanks to all the men and like you, we are able to you to our donors After Supper women who have served our continue to send out the Visions, LOOM, Dunkin’ Donuts, country. paper month after month. and Holy Family Villa. Just a reminder, you have Thanks for your support! one month left to be entered Mandy Hamilton See more photos on PAGE 2 TEXT OVER 2 July | August 2017 SENIOR FAITH 44th Annual Senior Unity Mass EDITOR Mandy Hamilton EDITORIAL BOARD Rev. Msgr. Michael M. Boland Robert Boyd Janet Bernico Kristine Kappel Roberta Magurany Anthony Spalla Angela Taylor Kindle Wilfinger Keenager News is a free monthly publication mailed to persons aged 55 and older by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, a non-profit organization. EDITORIAL OFFICE 721 North LaSalle Street, 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60654-3503 Phone (312) 655-7425 For subscriptions, changes of address, deletions, contributions, questions, or comments, please write or call our editorial office, or e-mail the changes to us. Contents may be printed in their entirety with proper credit given. Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. Copyright 2017 by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. ADVERTISING POLICY Advertisements appearing in the Keenager News cannot be construed as being an endorsement by Keenager News or its members. Advertisers and their agencies assume liability for all of the content of advertisements printed and are responsible for any claims that may arise from their advertising. Keenager News reserves the right to reject any advertisements it deems objectionable. CATHOLIC CHARITIES MISSION Catholic Charities fulfills the Church’s role in the mission of charity to anyone in need by providing compassionate, competent and professional services that strengthen and support individuals, families and communities based on the value and dignity of human life. YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED View all photos from the Senior Unity Mass online at www.bit.ly/seniormassphotos E-mail us at We look forward to seeing you again next year at the 45th Annual Senior Unity Mass! [email protected] More information including date, time, and location will be featured soon in Keenager News. www.keenagernews.org THE VOICE OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES July | August 2017 3 Opening the Door to Dignity As our nation contemplates location has certainly been narrowing the doors of important from the standpoint opportunity for refugees in The Voice of of serving our clients more the United States, Catholic efficiently and effectively. Charities has opened wide the But this new space is also doors to a new, much larger, Catholic Charities important because it is an and more vibrant office space outward demonstration – to for our Refugee Resettlement Rev. Monsignor Michael M. Boland our refugee clients and to the Program. Administrator, President, and CEO community at large – that When we learned that the of Catholic Charities Catholic Charities is firmly former school at St. Thomas of committed to carrying out the Canterbury Parish in Uptown Church’s role of welcoming was available, we quickly the stranger with the love and seized the opportunity to differs from European and one-on-one tutoring and compassion that Jesus showed. move this vital program from other countries because most mentoring. It is truly an honor to help its cramped quarters to the do not have such a rigorous Another benefit of our new these wonderful families who, former St. Thomas classrooms screening process as the U.S. office space is the ability to co- like Lazarus, stand before our that give us plenty of room for Screening can take years to locate the program offices with door seeking the chance for a private staff-client interactions, complete and helps ensure that our highly successful LOOM life worthy of their God-given volunteer meetings, and refugees entering our country program. LOOM is Catholic dignity. community gatherings. Located have passed the highest Charities social enterprise If you would like to support steps from the Red Line, with security standards. that gives refugee women the refugees, please consider ample parking for staff and Once a family is cleared chance to create, market, and purchasing some of the beautiful volunteers, and close to diverse to enter the U.S., Catholic sell their handmade products products created by LOOM by and culturally appropriate Charities partners with the as an additional source of visiting the online store at grocery stores, medical offices, United States Conference of income. From beautiful scarves, www.loomchicago.com, and other social services, we Catholic Bishops, who assigns hats, and shawls, to earrings becoming a volunteer mentor knew this location would be the families to work with agencies and other jewelry, each item for refugee families by calling perfect place to serve the needs across the country. Catholic is meticulously handcrafted, (312) 655-7323 or visiting of our refugees. Charities secures housing, oftentimes using techniques www.volunteerbridge.com, Over the past 40 years, provides case management, that the women bring from or making a donation to the Catholic Charities has helps them find employment, their home countries and refugee program at welcomed more than 10,000 registers their children in teach one another. The weekly www.catholiccharities.net. refugees from around the school, arranges medical group gives them a place to world. As refugee policy appointments, teaches them practice their English skills, changes are debated, it is basic financial planning and and helps them feel connected The Voice of Charity important to remember that budgeting, provides counseling to others at a time when they less than one percent of and job readiness training, may feel incredibly alone Join Rev. Monsignor Michael refugees have the privilege to enrolls them in English classes, in a new country. For these Boland every Tuesday morning resettle in the United States. and helps them adjust to courageous women whose for The Voice of Charity, a Refugees accepted into the U.S. American culture. lives have been turned upside discussion about social service have not only been declared Our new office space down by unspeakable violence issues in our community. a refugee by the U.N. High provides plenty of room and religious and political Commissioner for Refugees, to provide these essential persecution, making products but have also undergone services, and also provides with LOOM is a tremendous multiple background checks, space for our volunteers, who source of affirmation and self- finger printings, and health teach how to access shopping esteem. AM 950 screenings required specifically facilities, navigate public The opening of Catholic TUESDAYS • 9:30 A.M. by the United States. This transportation, and provide Charities new refugee program www.keenagernews.org TEXT OVER 4 July | August 2017 WORDS FOR THE SPIRIT Honoring the Sacrifice of Veterans Words for the Spirit During these summer I visited the cemetery at Father Charles T. Rubey months Keenager remembers Normandy twice in my travels. Founder and Director of the LOSS Program all of the veterans who have During one of these visits, I Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide valiantly served our country stopped in at the office and in the various conflicts that inquired what time the daily America has been involved in service was held to lower the over the years. These men and flag. I was with a few friends puts in the obituary their women have very generously and we wanted to witness Thank you to the men service in the armed forces. responded to the call of duty. this very solemn ritual. The and women who fought These citations are very specific Throughout the years, I gentleman at the office knew for our freedom and in terms of the type of branch have had the opportunity to that we were from America and in which they served and any visit some of the cemeteries asked if two of us would want those who made the other pertinent information.