Bishop Solis honors fallen heroes on Memorial Day

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis gives the homily during the Memorial Day Mass at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

SALT LAKE CITY — Dozens of the faithful gathered at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Salt Lake City to “give honor and prayer for all our fallen heroes, as well as to pray for those who are on active duty and their families,” and to give thanks for their service to the country, said Bishop Oscar A. Solis in his opening remarks at the May 26 Memorial Day Mass. 

He also prayed that “the legacy of our fallen heroes will be an important facet of our lives, that we may do our share in order to preserve freedom and peace.” In addition, he asked for prayers for the bishops, priests and religious sisters who are buried in the cemetery, who have “given their lives as well for the service of the Church.”   

Bisho Solis presided at the Mass. Concelebrating were Father John Evans, vicar general; Father Martin Diaz, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine; Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw and Monsignor Robert J. Bussen, vicars general emeriti; and Father Jaya Penugonda, administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Salt Lake City. Deacon John Kranz assisted.

“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we gather to honor, remember and pray for those who have died and sacrificed their lives for our country,” the bishop said in his homily, speaking in English and Spanish. “Memorial Day reminds us of the cost of freedom and peace. Their sacrifice is at the heart of our Catholic faith. The fallen heroes remind us of the ultimate sacrifice made and offered by Jesus Christ for our salvation. The courage and selflessness of all our fallen heroes and veterans for the sake of our country mirror the love of Christ who laid down his life for us. …”

Reflecting on the first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, in which Peter says that “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality,” Bishop Solis noted that at the Mass, “we remember and pray for the diverse group of men and women who served our country. Their bravery and dedication reflect the inclusive love of God, who values each person equally. Their legacy challenges us to live with gratitude, and to honor their memory by striving for peace and justice. We are called to honor their legacy by being the witnesses of those who continue to fight, to nourish and defend our freedom and peace. It also calls us to live lives worthy of this calling, knowing that our actions and our choices still matter.”

The day was also “an occasion for us to commit ourselves to the cause for which our beloved dead are honored: to cherish, defend and promote peace and freedom,” the bishop said. “We too as proud and good citizens of this nation must resolve to serve our country, to safeguard this nation and all its principles, and to embrace the responsibility to follow them and to put them into practice so that the courageous dead shall not have died in vain.”

The Mass was offered for “all our heroes, living and dead,” Bishop Solis said. “May God in his love and mercy bless them, and may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”