St. John Paul Shrine to Host Main Catholic Event to Mark 100th Anniversary of End of WWI

Principal Celebrant to be Archbishop Lori; Archbishop Broglio will preach homily

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Nov 07, 2018, 13:34 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A Mass at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine on Sunday, Nov. 11, will be the principal Catholic observance in Washington of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

The mass, co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, will be led by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, the K of C's Supreme Chaplain, as the main celebrant. Archbishop for the Military Services, USA Timothy P. Broglio, will preach the homily.

The World War I Armistice Centennial Mass will begin at 11 a.m. to mark 100 years to the hour that peace was agreed to in Paris at "the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" that ended the "Great War."

The public is invited to attend the Mass and a special ceremony at 10:30 a.m. that will begin with a color guard presentation composed of each branch of the U.S. military and include the U.S. flag as well as the individual flags of the armed forces. Attendees will witness a presentation of 28 historical U.S. flags ranging from those used during the American Revolution to our modern day Stars and Stripes.

There will also be readings from noted Catholic poet Joyce Kilmer, a soldier in WWI and Knight of Columbus who was killed in the conflict and from Pope Benedict XV's 1914 encyclical, Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum (Appealing for Peace).

The Catholic television network EWTN will televise the Mass live in North America beginning at 10:30 a.m. The shrine is located at 3900 Harewood Road NE.

About the Knights of Columbus
Founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is a 1.9 million-member fraternal organization known for its strong commitment to charity and its contributions to communities and parishes at home and around the world. For more information, visit www.kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus