As part of the annual commemorations for D-Day in Normandy, France, Friar James McCurry, OFM Conv., Friar Martin Kobos, OFM Conv., and Our Lady of the Angels Province Director of Mission Advancement Joseph Hamilton attended commemorations for our confrere, +Friar Ignatius Maternowski, OFM Conv., at his two memorial sites.
Friar James spoke at a memorial ceremony at the site of Friar Maternowski’s death on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Present were dozens of soldiers from the United States, German, and French military as well as the mayor of Picauville, other dignitaries, and local citizens of the little hamlet where Friar Ignatius laid down his life in the service of the wounded and dying soldiers in his care.
In the 800-year old Cauquigny Chapel, a site of intense fighting during the first three days of the D-Day invasion, Friar James participated in a candlelight vigil. This moving tribute to Friar Maternowski’s memory, the memory of all who sacrificed their lives for freedom in the Second World War, and the hope for peace and reconciliation between the nations of the world, was the largest ceremony yet at this site, with nearly 200 present, including U.S. and German chaplains.
Friar James’ reflected on the importance of Friar Maternowksi’s legacy, the St. Francis Peace Prayer, and the Our Father recited in German, French, and English, and three a cappella performances by the 82nd Airborne Division Choir. As the only U.S. chaplain to die on D-Day, Friar Maternowski is now regarded as a unique hero to the French people of Normandy. The installation of the stunning stained-glass window of Friar Maternowski in Cauquigny Chapel in 2021, has elevated his presence in the D-Day story and inspired an increasing devotion to him in the region.
Caption: While in Normandy, Helen Patton, granddaughter of General George S. Patton, who commanded the Third Army in France and Germany after the US invasion of Normandy on D-Day,
