As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the 1944 Allied bombardment of Normandy, France, today, a French bishop is also memorializing nearly 100 religious sisters who were also killed on that fateful day. 

A plaque with the names of the sisters, along with priests, seminarians and consecrated men and women who all lost their lives on June 6, 1944, in the Allied bombardment will be blessed during a Mass of peace by Bishop Jacques Habert of the Diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux in France on June 8.

The lists of the religious from 1944 have never included the names of the nuns, Father Pascal Marie from the Diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux told OSV News. The priest has been working diligently to find the sisters’ names since 2004. 

Among the victims were 13 nuns of Little Sisters of the Poor at St. Thérèse’s convent in Lisieux. 

Bishop Habert concelebrated Mass on June 6 with several French bishops, and Mass was said on each of the landing beaches marking the day. The bishop also presided over an ecumenical service on June 5 along with Anglican and Protestant clergy members.

Around 200 American and British veterans, many now 100 years old and older, attended ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. This is likely the last decennial anniversary in which veterans who fought in Normandy will be present.

102-year-old U.S. Navy veteran Robert Persichitti died May 31 on the way to France for the commemoration events. Persichetti served on the U.S.S. Eldorado and witnessed the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945. 

Catholics from around the world have been reacting and remembering the lives lost during the bombardment. Pope Francis recognized the loss of soldiers and innocent civilians in the Allied landings and “the colossal and impressive collective and military effort made to restore freedom” in a message to Bishop Habert on June 5. 

The Holy Father emphasized the afflicted families and destruction caused by the landings and the need for peace throughout the world. 

“It would be pointless and hypocritical to commemorate it without condemning and rejecting it [war] definitively,” he said. “It is worrying, in fact, that the possibility of widespread conflict is sometimes once again being seriously considered, that people are gradually becoming familiar with this unacceptable possibility. People want peace!”

Pope Francis warned against widespread conflict, saying, “Destroying this noble order of things for ideological, nationalistic or economic ambitions is a serious mistake before mankind and before history, a sin before God.”

U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated the anniversary in Normandy. 

“The men who fought here became heroes, not because they were the strongest or toughest or fiercest, although they were, but because they were given an audacious mission, knowing, every one of them knew, the probability of dying was real. But they did it anyway,” Biden said. “They knew beyond any doubt there are things that are worth fighting and dying for.”

In recent years, the Abbey of Saint- Étienne in Caen, Normandy, decorated its sanctuary with French, American and Canadian flags for the anniversary. The abbey sheltered 8,000 civilians after the Normandy invasion.

Catholics have been sharing photos of celebrations of the Mass on the beaches and ships around the time of the invasion on social media. 

As Pope Francis reminds us: 

“May God welcome all those who died in these terrible conflicts, and may He come to the aid of all those who suffer today; the poor and the weak, the elderly, women and children are always the first victims of these tragedies.”

 

Alyssa Murphy contributed to this report.