Father Lafleur's 100th Birthday

Today is Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur's 100th birthday! A group of Opelousas Catholic students, parents, and teachers are all in Washington, D.C. for the Walk for Life and visited the memorial to Father Lafleur at Arlington Cemetery. Pictured are Kelly Mire and her daughter, Morgan Dupuis. They are Fr. Lafleur's grand niece and great grand niece, respectively.   Also pictured is Father James Brady, our pastor. For more information on Father Lafleur, please visit the website at http://fatherlafleur.org

See more photos from today at the bottom of this posting.


Eighty-three Catholic military chaplains who gave their lives during World War II, the Korean Conflict and in the Vietnam War are honored on this monument at Arlington National Cemetery. The monument was erected on May 21, 1989, on Chaplains' Hill by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, Silver Spring, Md.

The dedication ceremony, which began with a concelebrated Mass in the Amphitheater of the Cemetery, was presided over by Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan, Archbishop of the Military Archdiocese. Other guests included Brigadier General Patrick H. Brady, chief of public affairs, and the secretary of the Army, who was the speaker for the dedication ceremony. General Brady, a Roman Catholic, earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam.

Monuments honoring chaplains from all denominations who died in World War I and the Protestant chaplains who died during World War II stand alongside the Catholic Chaplains' monument.

Seventy priests lost their lives in World War II, six in Korea, and seven in Vietnam. Many of their relatives attended the dedication ceremony, along with 83 priests from 43 dioceses and religious orders. Many diocesan bishops and religious superiors also attended the ceremonies.

The idea for this monument originated with Mr. Raymond Costanzo, superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery in 1989. He discussed the idea with Colonel Daniel Donahue, command chaplain for the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. Chaplain Donahue submitted a proposal to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, and the proposal was accepted by the priests' council of the Archdiocese in September 1988. Arlington National Cemetery granted approval in October of that year.

The monument is an unpolished granite stone with a bronze plaque. The stone stands six feet 10 inches tall and is 42 inches wide and 10 inches thick. The plaque is 50 inches by 30 inches. It lists the names of the chaplains alphabetically for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The cost was approximately $8,000 and was paid for out of the general operating funds of the Archdiocese. The monument was constructed by the Raymond G. Merkle Cemetery Monument Company of Baltimore, Md.