On June 3, 2026, as part of the annual commemorations for D-Day in Normandy, France, Friar James MCCURRY, OFM Conv., Friar Martin KOBOS, OFM Conv., and the Director of Mission Advancement for the Province of Our Lady of the Angels in the USA, Joe Hamilton, attended commemorations for our confrere, Friar Ignatius MATERNOWSKI, OFM Conv., at his two memorial sites there.
Friar James spoke at a memorial ceremony at the site of Friar Ignatius’ death on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Those attending included dozens of soldiers from the United States, Germany, and France, the Mayor of Picauville, other dignitaries, and local citizens from the little hamlet where Friar Ignatius laid down his life in the service of the wounded and dying soldiers in his care. Later, Friar James participated in a candlelight vigil in the 800-year-old Cauquigny Chapel, which witnessed intense fighting during the first three days of the D-Day invasion.
This moving tribute honored Friar Ignatius’ memory and commemorated all those who sacrificed their lives for freedom during the Second World War. It also expressed hope for peace and reconciliation among the nations of the world. It was the largest ceremony yet at this site, with nearly two hundred attendees, including members of the U.S. and German military and U.S. and German chaplains.
Highlights of the vigil included Friar James’ reflections on the importance of Friar Ignatius legacy; the recitation of the St. Francis Peace Prayer, and the Our Father, in German, French, and English; and three a cappella performances by the 82nd Airborne Choir. As the only U.S. chaplain to die on D-Day, Friar Ignatius MATERNOWSKI has become a unique hero to the people of Normandy. In 2021, a stunning stained-glass window depicting Friar Ignatius was installed in Cauquigny Chapel. The stained-glass window has strengthened his place in the D-Day story and inspired increasing devotion to him in the region.
Although the stained-glass window of Friar Ignatius is a recent addition to the historic sites of Normandy, it is quickly becoming a major destination for pilgrims following the route of the Allied liberation of France during World War II.
While in Normandy, Helen PATTON, the granddaughter of General George S. PATTON, who commanded the Third Army in France and Germany after the U.S. invasion of Normandy on D-Day, presented a painting of Friar Ignatius to Friar James, which she had commissioned from the famous artist Peter KING of Scotland.
German soldiers have become increasingly involved in the D-Day commemorations in Normandy. In this photo, Friar James is meeting four German soldiers who attended the ceremonies for Friar Ignatius as a gesture of reconciliation. The woman soldier standing to the left of Friar James is Jasmina REINE, a German paratrooper who later took part in the parachute jump that concluded the D-Day events. She carried a Friar Ignatius MATERNOWSKI “challenge coin” in her pocket to honor his sacrifice in the cause of freedom.
Text and photographs: Joe HAMILTON
