On June 6, 1944, during the pivotal D-Day invasion, 4,414 Allied troops made the ultimate sacrifice. Among them were 2,501 Americans. Additionally, over 5,000 were wounded on that fateful day. The Battle of Normandy that followed saw 73,000 Allied forces lose their lives, with 153,000 wounded. Tragically, the bombings of French villages and cities during this period also claimed the lives of around 20,000 French civilians.

Let us honor and remember these Brave Men and Women - the Civilians, and the Allied Troops who carried out the largest seaborne invasion in the history of mankind, by continuing to pray for them and their family. For those who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives, let us pray for the eternal repose of their souls.

We chose the 80th Anniversary of D-Day to deliver a truckload of household and personal items along with a check in excess of $4,700 to the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans (MSHV). Representing the council were SK Wally Niemczyk, coordinator of our bi-annual drive to support homeless veterans, along with SK Gary Pappin, Sirs Bill Alpers, Emilio Ascue, and Paul Balwirez.

On behalf of the MSHV and all the veterans they serve, Mary’s Millennium Council would like to thank all those parishioners who brought items to church, donated at mass on the weekend of May 18-19, or donated online at our donation site.

In addition, thank you, Wally, for coordinating another successful fund-raising campaign for our veterans. Many thanks to the brother Knights that collected donations before and after masses. Most especially, huge thanks to our pastor, Rev. Gregg Gorczyca, for allowing us to always make a difference for our brothers and sisters. Our council has been truly blessed by your prayers, selfless acts of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. God bless you all.

Denny Prude, Veteran Fulfillment Manager at MSHV, was incredibly grateful for the ongoing support for the veterans provided by our council and this parish. This was the first time this year that we appealed to the parish to help them serve our local veterans. They have been able to extend their support from their office in Wheaton all the way to Elgin thanks to their donors.

To learn more about what we do visit the Knights & Ladies website www.kofc12801.org. Visit our donation site kofc12801.square.site to donate to our current charitable causes.