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Washington, DC, May. 20 (CWNews.com) - President George W. Bush attended the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, on Friday morning, where he urged Americans to use “the gift of freedom to build a culture of life.”
The president recalled the contributions of Catholic Americans that date back to the founding of the country. “This work includes the incredible acts of compassion through our faith-based institutions that help Americans in need, especially the Catholic schools that educate millions of our fellow citizens and deliver hope to inner-city children of all faiths,” he said.
He also noted the Catholics who “serve America in the cause of freedom,” especially Father Timothy Vakoc, an Army chaplain seriously wounded in Iraq last year. On May 29, 2004, Father Vakoc’s vehicle was ambushed as it was returning to his base near Baghdad, and the blast from an improvised explosive device gravely wounded him. The chaplain lost an eye, sustained serious head and brain injuries, and was paralyzed on his right side.
Bush said he was inspired by Vakoc’s sacrifice: “In the finest tradition of American chaplains, he once told his sister, ‘The safest place for me to be is in the center of God’s will, and if that is in the line of fire, that’s where I’ll be.’”
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The president recalled the contributions of Catholic Americans that date back to the founding of the country. “This work includes the incredible acts of compassion through our faith-based institutions that help Americans in need, especially the Catholic schools that educate millions of our fellow citizens and deliver hope to inner-city children of all faiths,” he said.
He also noted the Catholics who “serve America in the cause of freedom,” especially Father Timothy Vakoc, an Army chaplain seriously wounded in Iraq last year. On May 29, 2004, Father Vakoc’s vehicle was ambushed as it was returning to his base near Baghdad, and the blast from an improvised explosive device gravely wounded him. The chaplain lost an eye, sustained serious head and brain injuries, and was paralyzed on his right side.
Bush said he was inspired by Vakoc’s sacrifice: “In the finest tradition of American chaplains, he once told his sister, ‘The safest place for me to be is in the center of God’s will, and if that is in the line of fire, that’s where I’ll be.’”
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Full article