(Editor’s note: The following is a submission to The Recorder’s weekly column titled “Faith Matters.” Each Saturday, a different faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal religious perspective in this space. For information on becoming part of this series, email religion@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 265.)
By Rev. Barbara Prestwood-Taylor
Athol Congregational Church
God has called our congregation to reach out to support local veterans. We are aware that 22 veterans a day take their lives. What a tragedy! In addition, many veterans suffer anxiety, depression or guilt because of horrifying events that occurred while deployed, serving our country. Wives, husbands, children, parents, brothers and sisters are also affected. We are grateful that veterans served on our behalf. So, though we may have different political views about war, we are united in doing all we can to make a difference in veterans’ lives.
Research shows the potential for an extraordinary impact on PTSD and suicide prevention when relationships between returning veterans and community members are strengthened. In light of this, we are connecting veterans and the community in a variety of ways. We call ourselves the North Quabbin Veterans Outreach, which is a ministry of the Athol Congregational Church. Our first event was a breakfast on Veterans Day weekend 2015 to honor our local heroes. On April 5-6, we are offering a workshop entitled Journey Home from War to educate pastors and community members about the needs of veterans and what churches can do to make a difference. For more information, go to http://www.careforthetroops-ma.org/workshops/ or call the church at 978-249-6202. On Memorial Day weekend, we will dedicate an outdoor memory tree to memorialize our service members who have passed away.
This summer, our Veterans Storytelling Project will begin. The purpose is to record the stories of local veterans. Telling their story and having it heard and acknowledged is healing for the veterans. In addition, it educates the listener and engenders compassion and understanding. Veteran Bryan Pelley clarifies, “Many of us are carrying stories about things that are pretty terrible, that are eating away at us. You don’t want to tell anyone the deepest stories because of the fear of how they will react. What we need is a sense of validation from the community, a sense of purpose for what we did. The way that someone reacts to your story has a huge impact.”
Twelve years ago, I didn’t know anything about the needs of veterans. But, that changed in June 2004 when I read of the suicide of Jeff Lucey. Jeff had been a Lance Corporal in the Marine Reserves and had deployed to Iraq in 2003. I hadn’t known Jeff personally, but I knew his dad, Kevin. I met Kevin when he offered us therapeutic advice on a delicate situation at the church I was serving at that time. His help had been invaluable, and we felt indebted to him. I was shocked and heartbroken at the thought that Kevin and Joyce Lucey had lost their son through such tragic circumstances.
The article in the paper described flashbacks Jeff had experienced and several other common indicators of post-traumatic stress. As I read about what happened, it dawned on me that Jeff’s death could have-should have been prevented.
Since 2002, I had been working with processes for healing traumatized communities through the STAR program, created in the wake of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. STAR is a partnership between Church World Service and Eastern Mennonite University to equip community leaders to understand the dynamics of trauma and healing, and their link to issues of conflict and upheaval. On that day 12 years ago, I vowed to apply what I had learned about trauma healing to help veterans and to prevent veteran suicide. The congregation has been quite supportive of this endeavor and we are working together for the veterans in the North Quabbin Community.
Our hope is that every veteran in our community will receive the support and care he or she needs to live life well.
Athol Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is a community church offering an extravagant welcome to all. Worship is at 10 a.m. On Palm Sunday, we will tell the story of Jesus’ last days, incorporating the music from Jesus Christ Superstar. Our newly renovated Church School has interactive classes for ages 3 to 18 at 10 a.m. Children learn about the Bible through hands-on activities, such as crafts, computer games, puppets and our map room. Free breakfast for all children and teens is served from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. The church is located at 1225 Chestnut St. Tel. 978-249-6202. Email: atholcc@verizon.net. Rev. Prestwood-Taylor’s email: careforthetroopsma@gmail.com.