Archdiocese of Denver plans virtual Veterans Day event, with Mass

The second annual "In God We Trust" Mass was moved online due to the global pandemic.

The Archdiocese of Denver is preparing to hold a special service to honor the dedication and sacrifices of American soldiers with a livestreamed Veterans Day Mass. The event, called “In God We Trust,” will feature Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila celebrating Mass, live musical performances, keynote speakers, and the promotion of counseling resources for veterans in need.

According to National Catholic Register, this is the second year the Archdiocese is putting on the “In God We Trust” event. The previous incarnation was held at the Colorado Freedom Memorial in Aurora. However, the world pandemic forced the diocese to move to an indoor, online format. This year’s event will begin at 6:15 p.m. MT, and will be viewable through the Archdiocese of Denver website.

Speaking with Roxanne King of NCR, Rick Crandall, founder of the Colorado Freedom Memorial, explained that the “In God We Trust” event offers much needed spiritual outreach to veterans, many of whom feel distanced from the Church due to actions taken during war. He said:

“They come back bearing the burden of their battles. War is ugly, violent and desperate and a lot of things go on that go against what we learned in the golden book. There’s this fear that God will be angry with what we had to do for survival. Our task with this event is to remind everyone who served in uniform that God is still here, God never left and is waiting. It’s a call to trust God.”

While COVID-19 has forced the archdiocese to alter its plans quite a bit, those in charge are hopeful that the livestream will offer the chance to reach veterans across the United States, rather than just those in Colorado. NCR noted that one goal of the night is to welcome to back to the Church those soldiers who may feel alienated from it because of their wartime experiences.

The Archdiocese of Denver notes that this year’s change in format is an aberration and it hopes that next year they can move the event back to the Colorado Freedom Memorial. They have already planned the third annual “In God We Trust” event for November 11, 2021, and ask that interested parties save the date. Next year’s event, however, will still be subject to change depending on the state of the global pandemic in 2021.

To view the “In God We Trust” Veterans Day Mass on November 11, click here.