AMS Archbishop Timothy Broglio with Rev. James Cheney, Pastor of St. Paul’s Newman Center in Fargo (submitted photo).
COVER STORY
Serving those who serve
The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, is vital to the spiritual well-being of U.S. troops and their families
By Paul Braun
A
s Veteran’s Day approaches, I am reminded of a Sunday in my past. An otherwise normal activity that took place on that February day in 1984 turned into an extraordinary event that changed my life. I had just arrived two days prior at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas to begin six weeks of Basic Training after being sworn into the United States Air Force. That Sunday morning all of us trainees were given the opportunity to either clean the barracks or go to church. Mind you, I had just dropped out of college and was not much of a churchgoer at that time in my life. However, the idea of cleaning the dayroom offered no appeal to me, so I decided to march off to Mass with some others in my flight. Needless to say, my heart just wasn’t in the right place for Mass. Sitting in that base chapel, something wonderful happened. I felt a warmth and comfort come over me like I had never felt before. It was as if God was whispering to me “Where have 12
NEW EARTH NOVEMBER 2017
you been, my son?” I cried throughout Mass, and went to meet with an Air Force Catholic Chaplain afterwards, who listened to my story, heard my confession, and welcomed me back to the faith…which I have tried to uphold to the best of my ability ever since. Had it not been for the United States Military’s commitment to the spiritual well-being of service members, I never would have had the opportunity to attend Mass. And, if not for the presence of a Catholic priest serving as a chaplain when I needed him the most, I don’t know where I’d be faith-wise to this day. That priest was there for me and others thanks in large part to what is known as the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). Most parishioners across the Fargo Diocese have only heard about the AMS when a special collection at Mass is taken up every three years. But what is the AMS, and what is its role in spreading and nurturing the Catholic faith? The Archdiocese for the Military Services, established by Pope