Heroes on D-Day June 6 in 1944 included a brave Army chaplain Father Captain Ignatius Maternowski

Theresa Civantos Barber - published on 06/05/25

History echo published in Aleteia

Priest died on D-Day helping enemy soldiers, and now he may become a saint.

The only U.S. chaplain who died on D-Day may become a Roman Catholic saint. His cause for canonization was opened in 2019.

“What’s D-Day?” my daughter asked. My husband had just mentioned that June 6 would be the 81st anniversary of that unforgettable day.

Capt. Ignatius Maternowski*

I paused, trying to think how to explain it to her. Images flashed into my mind: The soldiers, many just teenagers, waiting on the landing craft, tense and nervous. Wading into that fierce sea, bogged down with gear as they fought their way through strong winds and rough surf. Dragging themselves onto the beaches, only to face barbed wire, machine gun fire, and landmines.

More than 4,000 young men died that day. How could I explain all that to my little girl? But those brave men deserve to be remembered, so I described as much as I could in an age-appropriate way.
The priest who died on D-Day

Each and every soul that died in that invasion should be remembered and honored. And indeed they are, every year, at the memorials in Normandy.

Paratroopers monument in Normancy at Sainte-Mère-Église

But one man’s story holds special significance for Catholics. Did you know that a Catholic priest who died on D-Day may become a saint?

The Conventual Franciscans, of whom Capt. Ignatius Maternowski was a member, have opened the cause for canonization for this military chaplain who died while trying to get medical aid for wounded soldiers — both Allied and Axis.

Capt. (and Friar) Ignatius Maternowski was 32 years old and a “tough as nails” paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne: “He wasn't afraid to correct troopers who took the Lord's name in vain and was known to tell those speaking ill of the Church or confession to ‘put on some boxing gloves.’”

As a chaplain, he didn't have to parachute behind enemy lines that night, but “he was determined to be there for the sake of the souls in his unit.”

On D-Day, Father Maternowski celebrated Mass, gave his soldiers general absolution and boarded a C-47 Skytrain with the rest of the more than 13,000 paratroopers and glider infantry. He landed in Normandy near Picauville.

Finding a glider that had crashed, he worked at helping the survivors, then realized there would be many, many more wounded in need of aid that day. With the help of a medic, he moved the wounded to a nearby cafe and grocery store in the town.

His makeshift aid station was soon overflowing with the dead and dying, so he decided the best hope for saving them was to reach out to the enemy. Unarmed already, he took off his helmet and walked down the battle-torn street “with only his chaplain's insignia, a red cross armband and his faith to protect him.”

He reached the German position and asked their ranking medical officer to come to the American aid station and create a combined aid station in a house, where both sides could be treated. Instead of seeing enemies, he saw human beings in dire need of help.

The officer came to see the aid station and then Maternowski escorted him back to his position. As he walked the dangerous street for the fourth time that day, a sniper shot him in the back and killed him. The Americans were unable to recover his body for several days, but at last laid him to rest at Utah Beach.

A lasting legacy:  Capt. Maternowski’s memory is strong in the town of Picauville, even though most are too young to remember the war. Local residents carefully care for and maintain a memorial at the site of his death.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, cited Maternowski as a role model for military chaplains everywhere, saying: “Father Maternowski’s heroic sacrifice is an outstanding example of Christian love in practice, even in the face of great evil and adversity.”

Now that his cause for canonization is open, perhaps the Church will get our first “paratrooper saint.” And that’s something I can’t wait to tell my daughter.

*Father Maternowski was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts on March 28, 1912. After graduation from Mater Dolorosa Parochial School in 1927, he attended St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, NY, where he was a member of that school’s first graduating class in 1931. He entered the religious Order of the Franciscan Friars Conventual and professed his first vows as a friar in 1932. After pursuing further studies, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas O’Leary of the Diocese of Springfield on July 3, 1938, in the chapel of Saint Hyacinth College and Seminary, Granby, Massachusetts. 

He began his ministry as a parish priest, and then, once his ability as a preacher was recognized, his superiors assigned him to preach parish missions and retreats.

After the outbreak of World War II, Fr. Ignatius responded to the need for service as a military chaplain, enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1942, and later volunteering to become a member of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.

In the predawn hours of June 6, 1944, Conventual Franciscan Father Ignatius Maternowski parachuted behind German lines near Guetteville, France, a small village in Normandy, with the men of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

His company’s mission was to secure bridges to make the Allied invasion of Normandy faster and easier, but it was no simple task, especially after the paratroopers were scattered in the drop zone and came under fire.

By nightfall, Father Maternowski was dead, believed to be the only U.S. military chaplain killed in the invasion on D-Day. He was 32 years of age, in the 5th year of his priesthood. He is now buried in the Mater Dolorosa Cemetery, South Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA. His name is commemorated on memorials in Holyoke, MA; Athol Springs, NY; Arlington National Cemetery, VA; London, England, and Normandy, France.

In collaboration with the World War II Chaplains Memorial Foundation, the Franciscan Friars Conventual of the Our Lady of the Angels Province have begun promoting Fr. Ignatius Maternowski’s cause for canonization.

More to know about the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz

 Recent discovery in Auschwitz speaks volumes:  

Hand-made chess pieces drawn on cardboard. Photo courtesy of The Auschwitz Museum
Echo report published in Aleteia by Sarah Robsdottir

"There's one last human freedom," a survivor of the most infamous Nazi concentration camp of WWII explains, "and it cannot be taken away ..."  This year's renovations in one of the prisoners' barracks at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland revealed a startling discovery. Upon pulling back the floorboards, 30 handmade chess pieces drawn on squares of cardboard were found in surprisingly good condition, despite being over 80 years old.

"Several drawings may be a bit blurry," Elzbieta Cajzer, the Museum's Director explained in a press release on the Auschwitz Museum's website, "but the images of rooks, pawns, bishops, and knights are still easily distinguishable."

The incomplete chess set has been carefully conserved and will eventually be a part of the museum's permanent display. Cajzer also commented on the fact that the chess pieces were obviously designed to be hidden quickly, as such items of leisure were strictly forbidden in the camp where over 1.3 million people were subject to torture, starvation, and unfathomable cruelty during the primarily Jewish genocide known as the Holocaust that took place across eastern Europe during WWII between 1941 and 1945; 1.1 million of these Auschwitz prisoners were murdered, mostly in the camp's gas chambers. An estimated 11 million people were killed in the Holocaust in total.

Information on the museum's website further describes how contraband chess and card games were popular among the inmates because they provided a powerful source of mental respite in a place of abject suffering, but anyone found in possession of such items would be subject to severe brutality, even death. For this reason, the discovery of these chess pieces speaks volumes about the prisoners who were brave enough to create and hide them.

To choose one's own way

Viktor Frankl, a well-known psychologist, philosopher and Auschwitz' survivor, once said: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances -- to choose one's own way."

The prisoners who risked their lives to play chess in secret must have painstakingly chosen bravery over terror and valued human connection over stark isolation.

Their courage and Frankl's sentiment bring to mind several of the Catholic heroes who perished in Auschwitz, as in addition to Jews, many other "enemies" of the Nazi state were sent there as well.

Saint. Maximillion Kolbe was executed in the camp when he begged to trade his own life for another man who was being put to death.

Saint Edith Stein, a philosopher and convert from Judaism, died along with her sister in the camp's gas chamber, but not before she risked her life to minister to fellow inmates. According to eyewitnesses, she was "a beacon of light," spreading peace, hugging terrified women, praying with them calmly, and helping them care for young children.

There are countless other examples of Holocaust victims and survivors who refused to compromise their God-given human dignity in the face of one of the greatest atrocities of the last century -- from Anne Frank to Corrie Ten Boom. And now we can add to this list the creators of a newly revealed chess set, even though we don't know their names or stories. But we can imagine them defying tyranny -- smiling at one another in the middle of the night, their chess board lit by a slanted beam of gauzy moonlight. 

The winner mouths "checkmate," then discreetly pumps his fist in the air.

Pope Francis echoes the call to Vladimir Putin to stop the violence and death in the Ukraine

Maine Writer opinion: President Vladimir Putin is guilty of genocide.  Putin must end this horrendous assault on innocent Ukrainians and the lies he is forcing on the Russian people about the evil reasons he gives for causing this completely unprovoked invasion of a sovereign Ukrainian nation.

Pope Francis makes his strongest plea yet for an end to Russia's war on Ukraine, NPR reports. 

Pope Francis ‘begs’ Putin to stop ‘spiral of violence and death’
In exceptional Angelus address, Pope Francis begs for Vladimir Putin to end the war in the Ukraine, Aljazeera reports.

Echo report published in Aleteia by Kathleen N. Hattrup

"What is to happen next? ... In the name of God and in the name of the sense of humanity that dwells in every heart, I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire."

Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 2013. Francis is the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, the first from the Americas. He is from Argentina.  His name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Each week from the window of his study in Rome, the Pope offers a reflection on the Gospel reading from the Sunday Mass and then leads the faithful in praying the midday Angelus. 

But, on October 2, 2022, Pope Francis did something quite different. Instead, he made an earnest and passionate appeal for the end of the war in Ukraine.

While the Pope expressed his sadness at the “rivers of blood and tears spilled in these months,” he also asked a pressing question:

And what about the fact that humanity is once again faced with the atomic threat? It is absurd.

Here is a Vatican translation of what the Pope said. This appeal joins with more than 80 other appeals the Pope has made for an end to the war, although this appeal is unique both in the format and in directly addressing Putin.

Pope Francis Coat of Arms. The shield itself, in very simple almost modern heraldry, depicts a star, a grape-like plant, and a monogram of Christ at the center of a fiery sun. The symbols represent the three members of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In religious writing, Mary is often referred to as a "star," while St. Joseph is often depicted holding a nard, a Middle Eastern plant. The monogram is the symbol of Francis' Jesuit order. His motto suggests even more about the root of Francis' message: "Miserando atque eligendo," Latin for "Having had mercy, he called him," comes from an episode in the Gospel where Christ picks a seemingly unworthy person to follow him.

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

The course of the war in Ukraine has become so serious, devastating, and threatening, as to cause great concern. Therefore, today I would like to devote the entire reflection before the Angelus to this. Indeed, this terrible and inconceivable wound to humanity, instead of healing, continues to shed even more blood, risking to spread further.

I am saddened by the rivers of blood and tears spilled in these months. I am saddened by the thousands of victims, especially children, and the destruction which has left many people and families homeless and threaten vast territories with cold and hunger. Certain actions can never be justified, never! It is disturbing that the world is learning the geography of Ukraine through names such as Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Izium, Zaparizhzhia and other areas, which have become places of indescribable suffering and fear. And what about the fact that humanity is once again faced with the atomic threat? It is absurd.

What is to happen next? How much blood must still flow for us to realize that war is never a solution, only destruction? In the name of God and in the name of the sense of humanity that dwells in every heart, I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Let there be a halt to arms, and let us seek the conditions for negotiations that will lead to solutions that are not imposed by force, but consensual, just and stable. And they will be so if they are based on respect for the sacrosanct value of human life, as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each coun

try, and the rights of minorities and legitimate concerns.

I deeply deplore the grave situation that has arisen in recent days, with further actions contrary to the principles of international law. It increases the risk of nuclear escalation, giving rise to fears of uncontrollable and catastrophic consequences worldwide.

My appeal is addressed first and foremost to the President of the Russian Federation, imploring him to stop this spiral of violence and death, also for the sake of his own people. On the other hand, saddened by the immense suffering of the Ukrainian people as a result of the aggression they have suffered, I address an equally confident appeal to the President of Ukraine to be open to serious proposals for peace. I urge all the protagonists of international life and the political leaders of nations to do everything possible to bring an end to the war, without allowing themselves to be drawn into dangerous escalations, and to promote and support initiatives for dialogue. Please let the younger generations breathe the salutary air of peace, not the polluted air of war, which is madness!

After seven months of hostilities, let us use all diplomatic means, even those that may not have been used so far, to bring an end to this terrible tragedy. War in itself is an error and a horror!

Let us trust in the mercy of God, who can change hearts, and in the maternal intercession of the Queen of Peace, as we raise our Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei, spiritually united with the faithful gathered at her Shrine and in so many parts of the world.

Aljazeera, "Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church also condemned the annexation of four regions of Ukraine, saying it risked nuclear escalation and urged Putin to think of his own people during an address dedicated to Ukraine in St Peter’s Square."

Ukraine churches provide shelter to victims of Putin's War

Litany for Ukraine: Holy saints and martyrs, pray for peace.

Echo report published by Karol Wojteczek in Aleteia:  

Families taking cover in our rectory: A priest reports from Ukraine during the unprovoked #PutinWar.

"This is not a war against Ukraine, but a war in the heart of Europe. We are all under attack. It is a war against the whole world."

“This is not a war against Ukraine, but a war in the heart of Europe. We are all under attack. It is a war against the whole world. Pray for us as we wait for good news, news of peace, because God is with us and is our greatest strength. We pray that He will convert hearts and crush them with the power of peace, not weapons,” Fr. Sergiei Palamarchuk, pastor of the Greek Catholic parish in Lisichansk in the Luhansk region, said in an interview with the Italian agency SIR.

The problem is that we know where to flee from, but we don’t know where to go.

According to SIR, the priest — speaking by phone — was on his way from Muratov to Lisichansk. He was bringing with him several families seeking shelter in his rectory. “Right now we are fleeing Muratov because there are too many weapons there. We see military vehicles, we hear the sounds of bombing and mortar shelling. The situation here was already not safe,” the priest said.

Stand With Ukraine: Підтримуйте Україну Pidtrymuyte Ukrayinu

“Many families have fled in cars, and we are the last ones to leave the area. Some, however, have stayed because they don’t know where to go. The problem is that we know where to flee from, but we don’t know where to go. We are getting bad news about Kiev, Kharkiv, so no city is safe at the moment. When we get to my house in Lisichansk, we will have to think about what to do and where to go,” the parish priest reported.

Thank you for your prayers and please pray for us. 

Do not stop praying for us.

Despite the difficulties in continuing the conversation, Fr. Sergei reconnected to deliver an appeal for prayers through the media.

“Thank you for your prayers and please pray for us. Do not stop praying for us. This is the greatest and most important thing. And one more thing. We must understand that this is not a war against Ukraine, but a war in the heart of Europe. We are all under attack. It is a war against the whole world. Pray for us as we wait for the good news to come, the news of peace, because God is with us and God is our greatest strength. We pray that he will convert hearts and humble them with the power of peace and not weapons,” the priest stressed.

According to the information reported by the media and confirmed repeatedly by Ukrainian services, fighting and evacuation of the population are ongoing in the Luhansk district.