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Our Neighborhood Veterans

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by Jim Houck, Jr.

The American Legion and VFW Combined Color Guard Veterans Day Activities

This Veterans Day, November 11, 2016, was a beautiful day to continue with our traditional program of visiting all of our cemeteries in and around Emmitsburg, where we pay tribute to our local Veterans buried there.

The Color Guard was brought to attention at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, in front of Francis X. Elder’s grave site, for the first volley of firing of rifles, the bugler playing taps. The next firing was in front of the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War monuments, located in front of the Francis X. Elder Post 121 American Legion. The Lutheran Church Cemetery was the next site of the Color Guard rifle volley and taps. The Doughboy, our World War I Monument on West Main Street, was the next setting for our Color Guard tribute to Veterans. We left the Doughboy and, next, fell in at attention at the Emmitsburg Memorial Cemetery, on the hill, for our fifth rifle volley of the morning. The New St. Joseph’s Cemetery was the next sacred stop where our Color Guard paid tribute.

The next cemetery we visit is located at The Grotto of the Lourdes, where the Mount Saint Mary’s Cemetery is located. We performed another ceremony there. The cemetery we visited last is located on Welty Road at the Methodist Cemetery, at which the rifle volley and taps take place.

The people that followed us from cemetery to cemetery were invited back to Francis X. Elder Post 121 to an open house, where there was food and socializing. The Color Guard rested for the final program that took place at St. Joseph’s Ministries, beginning at 2:00 p.m.

The Color Guard arrived at St. Joseph’s Ministries at 1:45 p.m. and ran through a quick practice of exchanging the National Flag on the flag pole. Details of the program were discussed with Annie Wantz, who coordinates all activities for the residents, and at 2:00 p.m., Annie made the announcement and the Color Guard came to attention and began their march to the flag pole. The old flag was brought down and retired, and the new flag was run up to replace it. While this was being done, a voice was heard singing the National Anthem. When the song was done, the bugler immediately played Taps. It was so beautiful and inspiring that I even saw one of the resident Veterans, who was confined to a wheelchair, pull himself to his feet to salute the flag while the National Anthem was being sung.

Everyone went into the activity room after the flag ceremony ended, and a program was held; certificates of appreciation and fruit baskets were given to the Veteran residents. The Color Guard presented colors for the ceremony, and the Ladies Auxiliary Unit 121 handed out the fruit baskets and certificates. Everyone was invited by Annie, and her wonderful staff, to stick around after the program and have snacks and socialize with the residents.

It is events like these that make me glad I accepted being Captain of The Color Guard; the members have helped me when asked, and I am proud of them all.

God Bless the United States of America, God Bless the American Veteran, and God Bless You.

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The Color Guard is shown entering the flag area at St. Joseph’s Ministries.

Photo by Emmitsburg Cares

 

St. Joseph’s Ministries Appoints a New CEO/Administrator & The Daughters of Charity Ministries Appoints a Campus Coordinator

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On Wednesday, May 25, 2016, St. Joseph’s Ministries and the Daughters of Charity Ministries were delighted to commission a new CEO/Administrator and a new Campus Coordinator. In a ceremony held in the Basilica of the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Carla Brown was installed as CEO/Administrator of St. Joseph’s Ministries skilled nursing facility. Also commissioned was George Brenton as Campus Coordinator for the Daughters of Charity Ministries. Both ministries are located in a facility owned by the Daughters of Charity on South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg.

In mid-December 2015, the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s Ministries appointed Carla Brown as CEO/Administrator of its skilled nursing facility. Brown came to St. Joseph’s with a strong background in healthcare. Her abilities as a competent and consistent leader will be a welcome asset to St. Joseph’s Ministries, a facility striving to broaden and enhance the healthcare services it provides to the local community. Ascension Senior Living based in St. Louis, Missouri, sponsors this skilled nursing facility that fulfills an important role in providing care to the elderly and infirm in Northern Frederick County and South Central Pennsylvania.

The Daughters of Charity Ministries appointed George Brenton to the position of Campus Coordinator of the Emmitsburg Campus. This position was formerly held by Sister Clarisse Correia, a Daughter of Charity. Brenton also serves as Director of Facilities at the site, a position he has held since November 2012. In his added role as the campus coordinator for Daughters of Charity Ministries, Brenton will work closely with Carla Brown of St. Joseph’s Ministries and the administrators of all of the other ministries housed on the Emmitsburg Campus. The other ministries include Seton Heritage Ministries, which operates the Museum and Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; the Provincial Archives of the Daughters of Charity; Villa St. Michael; the Seton Center Outreach Program; and Seton Family Store.

The Wednesday afternoon ceremony was attended by associates, Sisters, and residents of all Emmitsburg Campus ministries. Dignitaries from Ascension Senior Living included Jesse Jantzen, President and CEO of Ascension Senior Living; Rick Cumberland, COO of Ascension Senior Living; Greg Haynes, Vice President of Regional Operations; Ann Varner, Vice President of Mission Integration; and Patrick Lampe, Director of Mission Integration for the Eastern Region. Provincial leadership of the Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise in attendance was Sister Louise Gallahue, Visitatrix of the Province of St. Louise; Sister Jane Graves, Treasurer of the Province; and Sister Janet Keim, Provincial Councillor, Province of St. Louise. Other key participants in the commissioning ceremony were Sister Maureen Schmalzried, the Daughter of Charity Representative on the Coordinator’s Council; Father Steve Trzecieski, C.M., Chaplain Villa St. Michael; and Ken Vaughan, Chairman of the Emmitsburg Campus Mission Team.

The Rite of Commissioning for Carla Brown was centered on the call of the Heritage, Mission, and Vision of Ascension Senior Living. Symbolic tokens were presented to Brown, representing the core values of Ascension Senior Living: Service of the poor, reverence, integrity, wisdom, creativity, and dedication. George Brenton was called by the Rite of Commissioning to support the Mission, life, and works of the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg. Brenton received tokens representing the core values of the Daughters of Charity Ministries: Reverence, integrity, generosity, and unity. He was also given items that symbolize two personal attributes that define his style of leadership: transparency and availability.

The Commissioning Ceremony reflected the high standards and expectations of both St. Joseph’s Ministries and the Daughters of Charity Ministries, stressing a commitment to not just doing the job well but doing it in a manner consistent with faith-based, Christian values, portraying an organization committed to serving the poor, the sick, and the elderly in our community.

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Pictured from left are Robin Brenton, George Brenton, Carla Brown, and Brent Brown.