At the Sanctuary of the Holy House, the traditional Eucharistic celebration for the Lauretan Virgin, presided over by His Excellency Archbishop Santo Marcianò, Ordinary Military Ordinary for Italy
This morning, Monday 11 December, a meeting was held at Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto, the traditional Eucharistic celebration of the Air Force in homage to the Our Lady of Loreto, Holy Patroness of Aviators, which falls on December 10th.
The celebration, which has ideally concluded the celebrations of the Centenary of the Air Force, was chaired by His Excellency Monsignor Santo Marcianò, Military Ordinary for Italy, and concelebrated by Pontifical Delegate H.E. Monsignor Fabio Dal Cin, and saw the participation of Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Luca Goretti, of numerous military and civil authorities, and of a large representation of young male and female students from the Air Force Training Institutes.
Also attending the celebration were the Episcopal Vicar for the Military Aviation, Don Antonio Coppola, a delegation of Military Chaplains from Lazio, Marche and Umbria, as well as the Vicar General and a representation of priests from the prelature of the Holy House of Loreto.
The religious ceremony was opened by Monsignor Dal Cin, who wished to thank the men and women of the Air Force “for having been, for one hundred years, the guard of honour of the Celestial Patroness. Be inspired by the beauty of conscience and conduct of the Madonna, with the wish that this bond will always illuminate your mission of peace.“.
In his homily, the Military Ordinary S.E. Mons. Santo Marcianò He reiterated during the Eucharistic celebration: “Today we celebrate the memory of something that began one hundred years ago, while the walls of this Holy House hold the memory of what happened in much more distant years.“, stressed Mgr. Marciano’ in the homily.“But everything, in reality, seems and is current to us: the Mystery of God becoming Man, in Christ, through Mary's “yes,” just as the precious mission of the Air Force is current, which, we could say, is embodied in the ‘yes’ of each of you. A bond between memory and the present. – added Archbishop Marcianò – which can be synthesised in the word «new», which concerns you and, in particular, the action of God, and the newness of the celebration we are experiencing today is primarily rooted in the history of the Air Force, whose great achievements and records, extraordinary development, and enormous potential are known to us all. Of this «new» I believe you can be a guarantee, precisely because in the tragic history of the world – with war unfortunately remaining a sad and dramatic “current event” when we had hoped it was just “memory” of the past – the history of the Air Force teaches us that it is possible to respond to multiplying acts of war with gestures of peace.. Over these hundred years, your contribution to peace has taken shape and broadened continually. Your mission, which began at a national level, has expanded extraordinarily, gaining experience internationally and becoming a benchmark for many other countries worldwide. The human richness that characterises you – the Pope told you a few days ago – represents the best guarantee that your commitment is always directed towards the defence of life, justice, and peace, and it makes you men and women of great passion, dedication, courage, and motivation, ready to pay your tribute of hard work and, at times, of life. If anniversaries did not open up to the future – the Military Ordinary concluded – celebrating wouldn't make sense. Is that perhaps the message you intended to convey with your Centenary motto, "In flight towards the future"?“.
“We are proud and grateful to be here today to mark the end of our Centenary.“, he said Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Luca Goretti, in his welcoming speech at the end of the religious service.“First, I wish to extend a respectful greeting to those who are no longer physically with us, to those who in particular this year have painfully left us. Their example gives us the strength every day to look to the future. A special greeting and thanks, on this emotional day, to all the personnel of the Armed Forces, the human capital that for one hundred years has served the country and honoured our Flag, in particular to the younger ones with the wish that they continue to honour our Tricolour with the same spirit and dedication as those who preceded them. I thank the families, who follow us and give us the strength to continue in our vocation.“The Chief of Staff then concluded“I believe I can speak on behalf of everyone who, in whatever capacity, works in aviation every day, in the skies and on the ground, to send a special greeting to our mother, the Virgin of Loreto, who consoles and protects us even in the most difficult moments. And it could only end like this, and in this place, the extraordinary journey of the Centenary of the Air Force.“.
After the ceremony, on the parvis of the Basilica, there was the The Angelus prayer and the blessing of the HH-139 helicopter of the 15th Wing of the Italian Air Force, the department which ensures the precious research and rescue activity every day throughout the national territory, which flew over the Basilica with the Tricolour.
A relationship, that of the Air Force with the city of Loreto, which is founded not only on the indissoluble spiritual bond with the Patron Saint of Airmen, but which is also consolidated and substantiated in the precious activity of the Aviation English Training Centre, dependent on the Schools Command / 3rd Air Region, which is based in the town in the Marche region. It is responsible for the training and assessment of the linguistic competences of Air Force personnel, as well as the assessment and teaching of “Aviation English” to flight controllers and aircrew personnel of the Air Force, but also to those of other armed forces and ministries.
