On November 11, a Veterans Day Holy Eucharist for the whole church was celebrated at the Chapel of Christ the Lord in New York City, located on the ground floor of the Episcopal Church Center in Manhattan.
Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe was celebrant, and the Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, delivered the sermon. The event was billed as the first of its kind. Sixty-five people attended the service in person, and hundreds more tuned in via livestream.
The Veterans Day service comes at a moment of national strain: the federal government remains in a historic shutdown, the military faces a severe recruiting crisis, service members have been seen lining up at food pantries, and both activists and several Democratic lawmakers have criticized what they describe as unlawful or overreaching directives toward the armed forces from the Trump administration.
In Ritonia’s sermon, the focus was on those who fought for the nation and the people who supported them.
“I imagine for many of you, Veterans Day is not just a day off, a long weekend, or a chance to catch a sale at the mall,” Ritonia said, before an audience that included veterans and active service members. “It’s personal, it’s sacred.”
The former Marine Corps major—whose grandfather served in World War I and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star—spoke of the significant sacrifice of those in uniform, who have endured trials and glory while in active duty. Ritonia’s father served in the Korean War; her cousins served in Vietnam.
“They’ve stood tall in uniform, yes. But many also knelt beside wounded friends,” Ritonia said. “They’ve experienced camaraderie like no other, being part of something larger than themselves, and they’ve had to write or deliver letters home they hoped would never be read. And they’ve carried not just backpacks of gear, but they’ve carried grief.”
The bishop suffragan added that “Veterans Day draws us close to their stories, and not the ones that are etched in monuments or on metal citations, but the ones that are whispered around kitchen tables.”
Reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, Ritonia drew a parallel between the Roman soldier who cared deeply for a servant in his household and the various acts of service offered by chaplains, veterans, and nurses.
“I imagine each one of you here and those joining online know people in your own communities who have served and continue to serve in ways both large and small, many carrying wounds of their own,” she said. “So I think the question for us becomes: How do we as communities of faith serve those who have served well? We the Episcopal Church are called to be that community for veterans—to carry the prayers of those who can’t speak them aloud, to offer spaces where veterans can lay down their armor, both literal and emotional, to be a sanctuary where healing is not a reward for strength.”
Over 18 million veterans live in the United States today, according to Pew Research. As their numbers grow, so do the issues they face, exacerbated by structural challenges within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
RAND, a public policy research institute, cites suicide and homelessness among the top policy concerns affecting veterans, followed by exposure to toxins, trauma, and brain injuries.
The Episcopal Church’s ministry to the military dates back to America’s founding, when the Rev. John Hurt began serving as a chaplain in the Continental Army in 1776.
Hurt became the first official chaplain of the United States Army when he served as chaplain of the 6th Virginia Regiment beginning on October 1, 1777. A profile by Paul Stamp for the U.S. Army’s website describes Hurt as “more than a spiritual advisor—he was a steadfast companion to his soldiers, often sharing in the hardships of battle and captivity.” Centuries later, a chaplain’s duty remains the same.
During the service, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe called on three chaplains, a missioner, and a canon for a commissioning and blessing for further service. The Rev. Nicholas Young, one of those commissioned, served as a chaplain for the National Guard and now serves as missioner for recruitment and veterans’ ministry.
Joining Young were the Rev. Ginger Bennett, chaplain for the United States Air Force; the Rev. Ryan Parker, a chaplain at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Durham, North Carolina; the Rev. James Cooke, chief chaplain of the Connecticut VA Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut; and the Rev. Canon Maurice Dyer, appointed in July as canon to Bishop Ritonia.
The group, together with Ritonia, supports more than 100 Episcopal priests who serve as chaplains across the Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs medical centers, and federal correctional institutions.
In the Armed Forces, chaplains are embedded wherever service members live and work, including Navy bases, Army posts, and training centers. In a recent newsletter update, a Navy chaplain was pictured baptizing a new member of the church aboard the USS Malkin Island.
Cooke led the Prayers of the People during the service. Petitions were offered for veterans, military chaplains, and veteran chaplains. “We pray especially for veterans who struggle with mental health, moral injury, and isolation, that they may be cared for and welcomed into our Church,” Cooke said.
Quincy Dover, music director and organist at St. Philip’s Church in Brooklyn, served as organist and led the congregation in singing “In Christ There Is No East or West,” the opening hymn. The lectors appeared in a recorded video—one based at Ramstein Air Base in Germany reading from Ecclesiastes, and another from Yokota Air Base in Japan reading from 1 Peter. The Washington National Cathedral loaned archived footage for singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the offertory hymn “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.”
On Facebook, the recording of the service drew more than 13,000 views.
Near the end of her sermon, Ritonia spoke directly to veterans, honoring their service while offering an invitation.
“If you are a veteran who’s never told your story, know this: We the Episcopal Church are listening, and you don’t need a medal to matter,” she said. “You don’t have to be broken to be blessed. There’s a place for you here … To the veteran who feels forgotten, we see you. To the ones still carrying invisible wounds, you are not alone.”
She then challenged the church to “be the community that heals.”
Caleb Maglaya Galaraga is The Living Church’s Episcopal Church reporter. His work has also appeared in Christianity Today, Broadview Magazine, and Presbyterian Outlook, among other publications.
