Several weeks ago we were visited by an elderly gentleman who had ridden his scooter from the Armed Forces Retirement Home, also known as the Old Soldiers Home, which is located not far from us in Washington, D.C. He had come to give us a generous check in support of our home. He needed a little help writing out a check, and in helping him the Little Sister noted that he had made several other donations to Catholic causes the same day.
We were so touched by this elderly veteran’s generosity and spunk that we decided to do something to show him our gratitude. So on July 4th we paid him a surprise visit to deliver a box of homemade cookies. How delighted he was to receive us! The door of his room was decorated with photos of the Pope, the Sacred Heart and other pious images, as was his small room. He told us that Mass is celebrated every morning at this home.
As we were leaving we noticed a beautiful statue of Abraham Lincoln, and learned that President Lincoln had lived in a cottage on the grounds of the Old Soldiers Home during the Civil War because it was judged to be a safer location than the White House.
We couldn’t think of a better way to begin our celebration of July Fourth!
To learn more about the Old Soldiers Home click here.
