Category Archives: World War 2

June 5, 2019 · 8:53 am

Notes on D-Day

The Provincial Annals of the Normandy Province were the official day-to-day record of goings on at the Marillac Provincial House outside St. Louise, MO.  The Normandy Province existed from 1910-1969, before being divided into the East Central, West Central, and Western Province.

Here are the simple accounts of June 5-6, 1944, D-Day, 75 years ago.

“June 5: Invasion began in Europe.
June 6: Churches in St. Louis having special services for out-come of invasion. Many Churches having Exposition – special prayers all day by order of Archbishop Glennon. Picnic at St. Vincent’s for Seminary. No one invited but Sisters Assistant. Father Martinez came at 2:30 P.M. and exposed the Bl. Sacrament – Exposition until Benediction at 5:30.”

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August 14, 2015 · 12:27 pm

August 19, 1945: End of World War II.

(Passage from Provincial Annals, August 19, 1945 used with permission of the Provincial Archives)

On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces, ending the hostilities of the Second World War. President Harry Truman proclaimed August 19 as a national day of thanksgiving for the end of the war. In Emmitsburg, Father Francis Dodd, C.M., Provincial Director, said the prayer below to the Sisters on that day. It is recorded in the Emmitsburg Province Provincial Annals.

August 19th. Second Mass, a High Mass for thanksgiving for Peace and to remember the dead who sacrificed their lives that we might be protected. Father Dodd sang the Mass after which we had Exposition all day closing with Holy Hour from 4:30 to 5:30. Father gave a very inspiring talk during the Holy Hour.

Extracts from Father’s Sermon at the Holy Hour

Today has been set aside as a day of Thanksgiving by our President, to thank God for Peace and also to be a Prayerful Memorial to our Hero Dead. This proclamation from a man who from the very beginning was not afraid to being God’s name into his message to the people. My dear Sisters, we have sought God in our need and the greatest military leaders have been those of the Sisters who have prayed to Almighty God to give victory followed by a changeless and lasting peace. We have prayed to our Divine Savior to grant this peace; we have called upon our Savior, King and Center of all hearts, to give this peace, and as we thank Him today; let us not forget that peace can be only a true and lasting peace when it comes from union of our hearts with the sacred heart of our Savior. We forget this because of our selfishness. Our neighbor has duties to God as well as we but we forget the teachings of Our divine Lord. Now let us strive more earnestly to love these teaching and live by them.

While this peace is for our land, we know that in many places the defeat of the common enemy has opened the way of civil strife. We want to beg our Divine Savior to draw all hearts to His own heart and to teach them as He alone can, how peace can be procured and preserved … He prayed for His enemies so we must ask God to forgive those who have offended, only sons among us but among all nations. Our hearts cannot meet in the heart of Christ while they harbor bitterness towards anyone. We will have peace only when our hearts beat as one with the heart of Christ.

Actual fighting has indeed ceased but there are great problems to solve by those in authority. But the mind of man is not sufficient to solve all problems that will be presented. Beg our divine Lord to give grace and light that they may have the courage to act with justice, that they may have charity for all people …

We cannot forget our debt of gratitude to those who have struggled so valiantly; who have made the great sacrifice of life for us. It is for us to pray for the repose of their soul … We also owe a great deal to those who are living, working and suffering the sorrows of separation from their loved ones, we ought particularly to pray for them now … Pray that the peace that is now being negotiated be founded on charity; that it may be enduring; that it may be a peace which will be a benefit to Holy Mother the Church, that she may spread all around and teach all nations to love our Savior and to find in love for Him charity and love, one for another, and that the coming of His Kingdom may grant us peace.”

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December 8, 2014 · 10:22 am

Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

(December 7, 1947 letter to St. John’s Hospital, Lowell, MA used with permission of the Daughters of Charity Archives)

Over the weekend we marked the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. The Provincial Annals for the following day recorded the news of the events in Hawaii.

December 8 [1941]
Our great Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated with Solemn High Mass at eight o’clock. Father Cloonan was the celebrant, assisted by Seminarians … This day is ever to be remembered, as the news was made known that the United States had declared war with Japan. It had been rumored for some days past that this dreaded news might be expected. The fighting is going on in Manila.

In the years following World War II the American provinces of the Daughters of Charity received many letters similar to the one below. In response both provinces of the Daughters of Charity in the U.S. organized war relief efforts which sent food and clothing to Sisters and poor persons in post-war Europe. This letter comes from the records of St. John’s Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Heinburg, Dec. 7, 1947
My Most Reverend and dear Sister:

The grace of Our Lord be with us forever.

Through Very Reverend Weiser, (Boston, Mass), I heard of the charity and benevolence of you, most reverend and dear Sister. Permit me, therefore, now before Christmas to knock on the door of your sympathetic heart and to beg for soap, starch, [wool] stockings, Cornette linen, and linen, etc., and whatever your kindness and generosity can spare. We are most grateful for anything, as we were completely burned out, and through the ration cards we can barely obtain the bare necessities with the greatest difficulty. Two third [sic] of our Motherhouse in Graz was destroyed by fire and for the last two years the Sisters are living in a private home, awaiting the completion of the building of the motherhouse, God willing, and hope to have it ready in the coming year. We are contented and happy due to the fact that we are working in an Orphanage connected with the mills.

May the Divine Child bless and reward you. I wish you, most reverend and Dear Sister a very blessed and holy Christmas and New Year, I remain in the love of Jesus and Mary, my dear most reverend Sister.

Your humble,
Sister Girarda Ulz,
Austria

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