Houma school to host annual Veterans Day mass

Oct. 22--St. Bernadette Catholic School will host its annual Veterans Day program in coordination with its Wednesday mass to honor those who have served the country on Nov. 6.

Put on in collaboration with the United Veterans, all veterans who choose to participate will process into the school's mass to start the day. During mass, the students will listen to a speaker, discussing what it means to be a veteran.

After mass, the school will hold a flag raising ceremony for the veterans, including taps and a 21-gun salute. Then, the school's seventh graders will host a reception for the veterans, engaging with them over food.

"They're the ones who take charge," said school counselor Charlene Foret.

Foret said the kids gain the most from "being able to talk to the veterans and see in their faces just how much this means to them."

"The message that we want our kids to know is never to forget our veterans who made the sacrifice to keep our country free," said Foret.

Foret is part of a three-person committee, including music director Michael Klaus and religious coordinator Kathleen Broggi.

Though the school sends invitations to those with the Regional Military Museum and the American Legion, Foret said any veteran is invited to the ceremony.

Parents and grandparents who served sit with their student throughout the program.

Foret thanked her principal, Lydia Landry, for her continued support of the program.

"Community service is part of our mission statement and reaching out to our veterans is one of the many ways that we reach out to our community," she said.

The program also promotes one of the character values the school works to instill in its students throughout the year -- citizenship.

The program will begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 6 at the school, which is located at 309 Funderburk Ave. in Houma.

For information, contact the school at 872-3854.

--Staff Writer Halle Parker can be reached at hparker@houmatoday.com or 857-2204. Follow her on Twitter, @ _thehalparker.

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