Annual Repainting of Holy Rosary Veteran Shrine

Mike applies a new coat on the Blessed Mary shrine on Brunswick and Seventh (or is that Sixth?). Born and bred Jersey City guy, went to school here at Holy Rosary (The Feast Sponsor).

"My uncle painted this every year, now I paint it. It’s sunny today. You can’t do it during the week, because the kids will mess with it."

Next Month is Veterans Day. Mike said the shrine is painted every year in October. Maybe it’s so this memorial looks its best for that holiday.

The plaque reads: For God, Country and Home... In Memory of All Deceased Veterans of the Parish. The year that shrine was decade is 1952.

The Korean War. How many wars since then? More of years of war than Peace, more young men and women from Jersey City making the ultimate sacrifice.

Inside were candles and flowers, placed there like they have been for decades – the Church itself is over 100 years old – personal expressions of prayer, individual memories of loved ones, a privacy that can’t be invaded, emotions never less than absolutely genuine... and Mike carrying on a family tradition of upkeep so those moments can happen.