ON SATURDAY, DEC. 14, members of Knights of Columbus council 12451 from St. Edward the Confessor parish in Dana Point participated in the annual “Wreaths Across America” day held at over 3,500 military cemeteries across the United States.

ON DEC. 14 AT MIRAMAR NATIONAL CEMETERY IN SAN DIEGO, 18,000 WREATHS WERE LAID AT THE GRAVES OF VETERANS DURING THE ANNUAL “WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA.” PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFREY LISINICCHIA
On that day, over 2.7 million wreaths were placed on the graves of our military veterans by tens of thousands of volunteers.
The Knights at St. Edward’s have participated in this annual event for the past four years, having chosen Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego as their designated site.
This year, the Knights raised a total of $6,783 to purchase remembrance wreaths (399 in total) all of which were included in the more than 18,000 donated and laid at Miramar.
The Knights sold the wreaths online on their group fundraising page. The men, their families, as well as members of the St. Edward’s altar server group and their families then participated in the wreath laying ceremony at Miramar on national wreaths day.
“It is a very moving experience which touches the heart and the Knights at St. Edward’s are honored to participate,” said Randy Parrick, Grand Knight. “It is a wonderful event for our members and especially the youth of our parish to participate in.”
The council chartered a bus to take all 40 volunteers from St. Edward’s to and from the church and the cemetery, approximately 55 miles away, where they, along with hundreds of volunteers laid the 18,000 wreaths. The event began with an opening ceremony which included all branches of the United States Armed Forces.
The mission of Wreaths Across America is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom. The event started in 1992 with a few hundred wreaths laid at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. and has now grown to the nationwide event that it is today.
“We think it is important to show our gratitude to these military heroes for their sacrifices which allow us to live in freedom,” shared Parrick. “It is more than just laying a wreath on a grave, it is a time for us to remember, thank and honor them because many of these veterans no longer have anyone to come remember them.”
Each wreath is placed on the grave with dignity, with the volunteer reading aloud the name of the service-member, reflecting on their duty and then saying a silent prayer before moving on to the next grave.
The Knights at St. Edwards look forward to participating in the event for many years to come.