BRONX, N.Y. — Holy Cross Parish here celebrated a holy hour for peace last week at which Brennan Connelly presided and Claude Lenehan preached. Claude quoted extensively from the Sermon on the Mount and the statements of Pope John Paul II.
Among the approximately 60 people at the July 2 service were the parents and family of Victor Martinez, a Holy Cross parishioner and member of the U.S. Army who died in Baghdad. Victor’s funeral liturgy had been held at Holy Cross on Christmas Eve, 2004.
“The war becomes very personal when someone from the parish family has died,” Brennan said, adding that “this war has been going on longer than World War II lasted.”
Each person at the prayer service was given a page showing pictures of members of the U.S. military who have died in Iraq. Their names, ages, hometowns and description of how they died were included, Brennan said. The page is from the Web site of CNN which shows a complete list of those who have died, he added.
“Attendance at the holy hour was good considering we held it during a holiday week,” Brennan said.
The Mass began with the Prayer of St. Francis that includes the fitting phrase ”make me a channel of your peace.” It ended with the closing hymn ”Be Not Afraid,” by Bob Dufford.