‘Never too late’: 98-year-old WWII veteran enters Catholic Church
He received the sacraments surrounded by loved ones after years of attending Mass and praying the rosary with his late wife.
A 98-year-old World War II veteran entered the Catholic Church July 16, receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at his Arizona residence in an occasion that his diocese said offered “a joyful reminder that it is never too late to embrace God's grace.”
Raymond “Ray” Martin Sr. was surrounded by family, staff, and fellow residents as he received Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation at the Villas of Marana, Arizona, according to the Diocese of Tucson.
Deacon Jack Trevino, who had accompanied Martin as he prepared to enter the Church, described him as reverent and moved to tears as he received the sacraments.
The deacon told the outlet that Martin had attended Mass and prayed the rosary for years with his late wife, Ann Marie, and had long believed in God but had found it difficult to open up about his faith until recently.
Martin’s daughter, Joanne, said receiving “the sacraments brought her father great peace and comfort,” according to the diocese.
Martin served with the U.S. Army in Okinawa and the Philippines during World War II before spending 27 years as a police officer in Illinois.
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