December - St. Augustine Catholic

One of her biggest concerns was knowing if
her young family would be okay without her.
“I wouldn’t want them to spend a lot of time
being sad. I didn’t want them to cry or become
dysfunctional,” she admits. Luckily, Kathleen was
able to communicate regularly with her children
and husband, John, 41, who works for the
State of Florida Veteran’s Affairs Department. A
webcam, set up in her room, enabled her to see
her family as she talked to them every day. They
also mailed packages to each other.
John, who Kathleen calls ‘a saint’, was able to
take time off during the summer months to care
for and travel with the children. She could tell,
however, that it was difficult for her husband to
deal with things like the homework and dinner
schedules alone. Although he is not Catholic,
At a Time When
Being Together
is Most Important.
Our beautiful cemetery and funeral home are in one
location, giving you more time to be with your family.
Jacksonville Memory Gardens
Cemetery and Funeral Home
Owned since 1958 by local Catholic family • 111 Blanding Blvd. • Orange Park, FL
www.JacksonvilleMemoryGardens.com (904) 272-2435
See Christmas
through a child’s eyes…
Capt. Kathleen Michel and her husband,
John, savor reading time with their four
children: Parker, 10, Griffin, 8, Ethan
and Seth, both 6. When she deployed to
Kuwait in the spring, Michel wasn’t sure
if she would be home for Christmas.
he took the children to religious education
classes regularly and helped them with their
nightly prayers, which still include a line to,
“Please keep mommy safe.”
Kathleen returned home in August to resume
her job as associate director for medical services
at the Naval Hospital. She doesn’t anticipate
being called back to the Middle East any time
soon but is watching as others get ready to take
their turn overseas, many of whom will be away
for Christmas.
“We send nurses and other staff on
deployment all the time from here,” Kathleen
admits. “All you can do is stay in contact and
celebrate when you get home.”
This year, after Christmas Mass, the Michel
family will spend the day at their own home,
an important tradition they have established for
their mobile military family.
“I’m sure I’ll go overboard again this year
with the decorations and presents …to
celebrate that I am home and not deployed as
was the initial plan,” she reflects.
This Christmas, send greeting cards that feature
the artwork of elementary school age children in the
United States — young missionaries sharing their
faith through art.
This box of 24 cards showcases the winning
color drawings from the Holy Childhood
Association’s annual Christmas artwork contest.
To view all winning art, visit the HCA
children’s web site: www.hcakids.org.
To purchase HCA Christmas cards for $10 a box,
call your diocesan mission director, or
1-(800) 431-2222. You may also buy these
cards online at: www.givetothemissions.org.
Holy Childhood Association …a Pontifical Mission Society
national office - 366 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007 21