Veterans Day commemorations at Diocese of Wilmington Catholic Schools include honors for the living, remembrances for deceased

 

St. Mary Magdalen School and Saint Mark’s High School were among schools that hosted events for veterans on Nov. 11, which was Veterans Day. Both welcomed active duty and retired military personnel for a prayer service at St. Mary Magdalen and a breakfast at Saint Mark’s.

At St. Mary Magdalen, Deacon Justin Pollio led a prayer service with a congregation that included students, veterans and their families, and other members of the parish community. Boy Scouts processed with a variety of flags and led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance.

Each veteran’s name was called, and as they stood in front of the church, students handed them small gifts. One student read a story of an American flag speaking from a first-person perspective.

“These are real heroes right in front of you,” St. Mary Magdalen School principal Kathy Jacono told the students after the prayer service.

Veterans Day at Saint Mark’s began with breakfast for veterans and active military members and their families. David L. Baylor, a Saint Mark’s alumnus and a Navy veteran, delivered the keynote address. Baylor is a retired state police trooper and currently the executive director of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association.

After breakfast, Saint Mark’s presented the Stephen M. McGowan 20K Challenge to raise money for a scholarship fund named after McGowen, a 1996 who was killed in Iraq in 2005.