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(credit: @Arthur)
Times of Remembrance
     As November the 11th has come and gone, it is the time of the year to remember the fallen. One of the few brief moments of the year to remember those who have fought for our country in the armed forces: those who have mentally and physically exhausted themselves for the safety of those at home; for those who have died in the protection of loved ones; for those who have braved terrifying experiences, battled through immense pain, bore incredible injuries, saw gruesome images - all for the freedom of their country.
     With this in mind, the CH Times Team prays for the repose of the souls of all the dead, whether they fought for our countries, or against them. May they, by the good grace of God, find the eternal reward of Heaven itself. The Team also prays for all who have participated in combat roles, all who experience war on the front lines and back home, in addition to all who will join the armed forces. Amen.
Welcome to CH!!
abigabi Anna Banana Xandrei Macatan A hearty welcome to the Harbour to all of you, from the CH Times team!
CH News
~by @Theresa
Welcome back to the Catholic Harbour News!
First up we have the CH secret Santa going on you can look more at that here.  https://www.catholicharbor.com/topic/33272-fourth-annual-ch-secret-santa-by-mail/
The Halloween costume contest results are now out you can check the winners out here. https://www.catholicharbor.com/topic/32648-costume-contest/
The Halloween pumpkin carving voting is going on here, please check it out! https://www.catholicharbor.com/topic/33299-halloween-2021-pumpkin-contest-voting-pls-vote-for-2/
Theres a wildlife competition going on if your interested, this next theme is mammals! https://www.catholicharbor.com/topic/33220-wildlife-picture-competition/
 
 
 
House Columns
~by@Arthur
     Franciscan House
<> The latest chat topic in Franciscan House is on the Final Frontier! Join other space experts (or people like me - not experts at all) on a wonderful conversation of Space Exploration and Predictions!
     Theresian House
<> The Theresian Monthly Art Contest is back up! November's theme is "Religious Art"!
<> The All Saints Day Costume Contest looks amazing! Voting is underway, and best of luck to all competitors!
<> Congratulations to @Bluebell and @Theresa for winning the Theresian Pumpkin Carving Contest!
<> The Theresian Thanksgiving Story Contest looks amazing! Beginning on the first, with entries having to be sent in by the 30th of this month, the theme of the competition is "Thanksgiving", "Fall", or "Traditions"!
<> The November Photography Contest looks epic! The theme of "Story Prompt" has inspired so many wonderful pictures!
<> The October Shadow Voting is now up! My word, don't the silhouettes look just incredible!
<>Theresian House reached a milestone of 100 members! Great work!
<> Great work @Julia M for winning the October Art Contest! Your picture is amazing, and so is everyone else's!


<> Congratulations to @Aussie_Girl for winning the September Voting Contest!


 
     Dominican House
<> A huge round of applause for @Kyrawe who won Dominican House's First Creative Writing Contest! It was a tight win as everyone are such great writers, but well deserved!
     Benedictine House
<> The Benedictine House is having its own mafia game! Best of luck to all contestants...
<> Okayokayokayokay... ATHEMESONGCHALLENGE?? I can't wait to see how this plays out!
 
CH Memes
~by @The Members of CH
~ catalogued by @Arthur and @Theresa



Me reading through the thread "Communion on the hand or the tongue"

"You can't rickroll Mr. Warren"
Someone:

Fun Facts!
~by @Theresa
 
Fun facts: Veterans day edition 
1. Who celebrates this day?
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States. All non-essential government agencies and many schools are closed for the day. Many other countries celebrate the day as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.
2. There were around 21.8 million veterans in the United States as of 2010. 3. There are around 9 million veterans over the age of 65.
4. Around 1.6 million veterans are women.
5. Veterans Day does NOT have an apostrophe. 
6. Veterans Day originated as "Armistice Day" on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of the Great War. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.
 
 
CH Interviews
~ by @PinkDonut7
In this month’s Interview, I am interviewing @Julia M about Remembrance Day. Julia has lived in Australia all her life. She used to live in VIC but she now lives in NSW. I asked her questions about Remembrance day and how she observes this special memorial day. 
Q. “How does your family commemorate Remembrance Day?”
A. “Usually we would go to our local Remembrance Day service at the war memorial. If we are unable to go to the service in person for some reason, then we would watch it on TV. At the service there are mainly some speeches, a moment of silence, and the "laying of wreaths."”
Q. “What are poppy flowers and their significance?"
A.  “The red poppies grew all over the battle fields. We wear them in remembrance of those who died fighting.”
Q. “Do you wear a poppy?”
A. “I usually wear a pin on red poppy on Remembrance Day.”

Thank you for answering my questions @Julia M! It is certainly interesting to hear how Remembrance Day is commemorated in Australia. Let us never forget the brave heroes who fought for our countries! 
PAX,
@PinkDonut7 (Holly)
 
Edith Clavel
~ by @Eliza

“I can't stop while there are lives to be saved.”
- Edith Clavell
1865-1915
    
           Edith Clavell was an English woman who was one of the many great heroes that resulted from World War I. She grew up in the 1800s with her siblings, mother, and father, whom she cared for when he became ill. Caring for her father actually led her to becoming a nurse, and later on a well-known and well-revered nurse that would sacrifice her life for the sake of others.

          During World War I in Brussels, Belgium Edith Clavell, while working at a hospital, would smuggle Allied soldiers out of German-occupied Belgium to the safer and neutral country of The Netherlands. She went so far in this endeavor that she had once saved the lives of 200 Allied soldiers by hiding them in her hospital as “patients,” and later, while risking her own life in the process, bringing them to safety.

          Unfortunately, Clavell’s secret acts of helping soldiers into safety was eventually found out. The German authorities had already been suspicious of Edith Clavell, but their suspicions were confirmed when a Frenchman, Georges Gaston Quien, snuck into Clavell’s hospital pretending to be a soldier in need of help, and after finding out what she was doing, he turned in the information to the authorities. Clavell was arrested on August 5th, 1915 and was sent to St. Giles Prison in Brussels. She was charged on account of “conducting soldiers to the enemy.” She was executed by a firing squad on October 12th, 1915 at the age of 49.

            Let us always remember Edith Clavell, and the life that she led. In her greatest act of giving her life to save the lives others, she imitated Christ in how He died for us so that we may be saved. By following her example of true love for others, may we at the end of our lives gain what we were made for, eternal happiness with the One who loves us most.
 
St. Martin of Tours
~ by @Arthur
11th November 1918. Over a century has past, and still we remember the date. The First World War, the Great War, the War to end all wars, had been finalized. The Armistice was completed and signed by the world powers. Upon hearing this news, thousands of soldiers, tens of thousands of soldiers, leapt with joy, celebrating in their own various ways. What was the significance of the date? It was the date that marked the end of four, gruelling years of warfare, it was the date that ended the fight for France. More than that, however, it was the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. He had kept his country safe throughout it all and had brought an end to the war.

     The fact is, as his biographer, Henri Gheon, rightly states: “we do not know St. Martin.” As surprising as this may seem, the fact remains the same. St. Martin, the patron saint of France, his life and works, who he is, lies unknown to the vast majority.
St. Martin was born in c. 316 A.D in Sabria, Panonia to a veteran legionnaire. However, he grew up in Italy, in Pavia. His parents, as his Sulpicius Severus tells us, held, “an honourable rank in society; but they were pagans!” One day, when he was about ten, against the will of his parents, he went to the church that lay in the centre of his town. There, he asked to be made a catechumen. The Catholic Faith was, we are told, very much under suspect (as it had only been made legal thirteen years before) and it was most likely “detested by his parents.” When he was old enough, his father sent him into the army despite St. Martin’s wilful protests. Not being a Roman citizen, he entered into the Imperial Guard. It was during his time in the army that the famous story with the cloak occurred. The winter of 388-9 in Amiens was worse than usual. So much so, in fact that “many perished as a result of the severity of the icy weather.”  St. Martin came across a beggar who was shivering in the cold. Not hesitating, he took his brilliant white cloak of the Imperial Guards and cut in half. One half he gave to the beggar. The next night, St. Martin dreamt that he saw Christ with his cloak. Christ spoke to him: “Martin, still a catechumen, covered me with his cloak” Martin left the army around the age of twenty-five. In 350, he went to visit St. Hilary who instructed him further in the faith. There, St. Hilary ordained him as an exorcist. Upon leaving St. Hilary, St. Martin went about converting the population. After managing to convert his own mother, he performed miracles, including raising two boys from the dead.

     About this time, we are told, St. Martin was a candidate for the bishopric of Tours. The saint, however, refused to take the position. Nevertheless, he was tricked into coming and was made a bishop. When he was a bishop, he, “fulfilled the high office of bishop without abandoning his monastic commitment and virtue.”  We are told that he had a cell not far off in which he lived in. Several other noblemen came and followed his example. It shows us how holy St. Martin was that some of these later became bishops themselves.6 Furthermore, during this time he performed many miracles. St. Martin spoke with angels, who protected him from danger. He recognized the devil so well that it could not induce him in any way to sin. Truly, this man was very close to God.      However, as all men must, St. Martin died. On one cold night of November, on the 8th, in the year 395 (Some historians claim 402), St. Martin passed away in a presbytery at Candes. So saintly was the man that the people of Poitiers and Tours both claimed him, saying in their town he should be buried. On November 11th, in the Cemetry of the Poor, near Tours, St. Martin was buried. Even though his remains were burnt by a marauding army, so great was the people’s love for him that they risked their lives to save a few small relics. Still, looking over us in Heaven, he will guide all those who ask of him.
 
Closing
~ from @Arthur
     As this issue of the Catholic Harbour Times draws to a close, I would like to end with a poem. The surgeon John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields" during the Great War after seeing a close friend of his die. This written piece of art is a wonderful reminder of the vibrancy and beauty of life, in addition to the strength of the armed forces.
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,     That mark our place; and in the sky     The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,     Loved and were loved, and now we lie,         In Flanders fields.   Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw     The torch; be yours to hold it high.     If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow         In Flanders fields."     With this, the CH Times bids you farewell for now. Have a truly blessed rest of the month.
     In Christ,
 
     John-Paul