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Merrimack Valley

St. Anthony's honors its military veterans

St. Anthony's Church honors Lebanese American veterans

By Mark E. Vogler
mvogler@eagletribune.com
Published: November 8, 2009

LAWRENCE — It might have been the biggest pictorial collection American military veterans of Lebanese decent ever displayed in the city.

That's what people admiring the photos of 134 deceased and living members of St. Anthony Maronite Catholic Church on Lawrence Street said last night as they viewed the new Wall of Honor in parish hall.

"It brought tears to my eyes," said Juliette Williams, of Methuen, one of more than 240 people who showed up for a dinner reception honoring the church's veterans.

"You know, it's about time that we recognized the Lebanese Americans who served our country wholeheartedly," she said as she roamed the hall, looking at the dozens of photos.

Earlier in the day, Monsignor Peter F. Azar blessed a new monument "Dedicated to the Parishioners of St. Anthony's Church who served in the Armed Forces" that was unveiled in the church cemetery in Methuen. Then he presided over a special service for the veterans.

Azar said he was moved by the way the parish embraced the wall project suggested by parishioner Christine Kattar, whom Azar invited to head up the committee that organized the project.

"The way I looked at it, for years our veterans were forgotten. We did not give them the respect and appreciation they were due," Azar said. "But this year, out of the blue, a few of our parishioners really wanted to do something special. And they did."

Kattar's late father — Thomas Kattar — was a World War II Army hero who received a combat commendation from his commanding officer in 1945 for killing 35 German soldiers, knocking out a machine gun nest, destroying an enemy tank, and saving the lives of two American soldiers while under enemy fire.

But it's gnawed at Kattar that her dad never received his due, probably because he was such a humble man, she said.

Kattar's quest to honor her father's military heroics escalated in spite of early discouragement.

"Somebody told me 'You'd be lucky if you got 30, but we wound up getting 134 photos before the deadline," she said.

It was enough to impress the church's oldest living veteran, Albert Farrah, 92, a fighter plane pilot who fought in Europe during World War II.

"I've never seen anything like this in my life," said Farrah, who was shot down over a German farm and captured by the Nazis. He was a prisoner of war for about five years.

"The community never did anything like this before," he said. "I'm so overwhelmed by this gathering here. I never dreamed it would happen."

Farrah credited "a driving force called Christine" for making the dream come true.

Lawrence Veteran Services Director Francisco Urena said the way a community honors its veterans reveals a lot about the character of its people.

"The St. Anthony's community is very strong," he said.

Bob Dewan, master of ceremonies, asked the crowd of more than 240 to "pray for the 15 St. Anthony parishioners who never came back home." There was a special panel of news clips and letters paying tribute to the dozen church members who were killed in action during World War II.

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