For God and Country

Located in the heart of the Sheyenne River Valley at the beginning of one of the most scenic drives in the state, Lisbon is a small town unlike others in North Dakota. Main Street business is booming, schools are thriving, a state-of-the-art medical facility is in full operation, and the churches are welcoming and usually full on Sunday. Lisbon also has another gem to be proud of.

The North Dakota Veterans Home, a facility for retired and elderly veterans and their spouses, is located on the city’s southeast corner, nestled along the Sheyenne River. The sprawling grounds accent the spacious, modern facility that is home to our fellow North Dakotans who have served their state and country. Veterans and spouses or surviving spouses of veterans are eligible for residency at the North Dakota Veterans Home. 

The home is designed to meet a variety of needs, like the basic care unit, which is particularly beneficial for veterans and their spouses who are able to stay together in their own, two-room apartment with private bathrooms. There is also a skilled care facility (nursing home) for individuals requiring more care and assistance. This flexibility is helpful for those couples where one may simply require basic care, while their spouse needs skilled care. The couple can spend much of the day with each other and still receive that unique care. Single veterans are housed in single rooms with a private bath. Meals are provided by the staff, and residents have the option of doing their own laundry or having it done for them.

According to staff, activities, which are supported by several veteran service organizations and individuals, are varied and exciting.

“Our activities reflect a commitment to the well-being of our residents,” said Susanna Schlecht, Marketing Coordinator for the North Dakota Veterans Home. “We are exceptionally proud of our woodshop, art studio, and wellness-focused digital technology. What’s more, the rent for a veteran in our basic care is income-based, ensuring that it remains an affordable option in our region.” 

While the North Dakota Veterans Home provides basic needs and activities for residents, their spiritual needs are in the hands of local churches. The Veterans home recognizes the importance of meeting those needs by providing a space and time for services.

“One of the first questions veterans or their spouses ask on a tour is regarding church services offered,” said Schlecht. “Tuesdays are designated for spiritual services. Pastors from the community are on a rotating schedule to provide a message to the residents. The resident’s case managers also provide a spiritual assessment with residents to discover how we can connect them with resources to meet their spiritual needs.”

St. Aloysius parish in Lisbon is tasked with fulfilling the spiritual needs of Catholic veterans and their spouses. While several residents are able to attend Sunday Mass at St. Aloysius, others are not so mobile. Those residents gather for the Rosary at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays in the home’s chapel, followed immediately by Mass, celebrated by St. Aloysius pastor Father Riley Durkin.
 
“When I arrived here, it was, in fact, before I arrived, I started getting calls from the Vets home asking what day I was going to come,” said Father Durkin. “I think it’s a privilege to be able to have the Vets home here in Lisbon where we have the opportunity to support these veterans where we can. And I know the community is very proud of being able to have the veterans’ home in Lisbon. But there is a sense of giving back. I get to come here once a week and be able to see the residents.”

John Griggs, an Air Force veteran, is relatively new to living at the Veterans home, having moved in just over four months ago. “One of the smartest things I did was moving in here,” said John. “I was living alone and you know doing my own cooking, cleaning, everything. Here everything’s done for you. You’re treated like a king. The comradery among my fellow Catholic veterans is also important to me, and it’s pretty handy to have Father Riley come on Tuesdays when I can’t make it to St. Aloysius on Sundays.”

Joe Gross, an Army veteran from Rugby, has lived in a basic unit apartment with his wife, Barb, for about two years. Although they attend Mass together on Tuesdays at the home, they are active parishioners at St. Aloysius. In fact, Joe says that residents of the Veterans home not only receive spiritual support from the local parish, but some residents actually provide volunteer support for St. Aloysius on their own or through membership in the local Knights of Columbus council.

“There’s a spiritual camaraderie that we share with Father Riley, and just his presence makes a lot of difference here at the home,” said Gross “But we also worked on the parish harvest dinner held last month. Barb and I are part of the committee. They haven’t had a fall meal here since I can remember, and Father wanted to start one, and we had experience from St. Joe’s Church in Devil’s Lake that we put to use here.”

Father Riley’s involvement with resident veterans doesn’t just stop at weekly Mass. He is called upon to offer other sacraments and evangelization to the veterans, and at times the home’s staff. He recalls a time when one of the residents wanted Father to hear his confession, the man’s first in 50 years! 

“Moments like that is one of the highlights of the priesthood,” said Father Riley. “But if the local priest weren’t here every week, it would just be a much more remote relationship between the parish and the vets home. A pastor serves the whole town, Catholics and non-Catholics. And part of that, in Lisbon, is the privilege of being able to come here. I get more people that come to weekly mass here than I do at daily mass at the church or the other nursing homes I go to. It’s a priority for people at the Vets Home.”