Salute Spring 2010

SPRING 2010

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E A R C H D I O C E S E F O R T H E M I L I T A R Y S E RV I C E S , U S A

General Meyer A Man of Faith, Family, and Country See article on page 20

Dear Friends of the Archdiocese for the Military Services,

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he liturgical calendar tells us that we are entering the most important time of the year. Easter reminds us of the immense love of Almighty God for each one of us. He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to assure for us what we are incapable of attaining for ourselves, salvation. It is one more example, if there be need of more, of the absolute dignity of the human person.

In the Archdiocese for the Military Services Easter is celebrated across the globe as men, women, and their families gather to mark these vital events in salvation history.

Once again, I will anticipate one Holy Week rite on Tuesday, March 23rd when the Archdiocesan Chrism Mass will be celebrated in the Crypt Chapel of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Although not many of the priests serving the AMS will be able to gather there, it will still be a special occasion to pray for all of them during the Year of the Priest, as we renew priestly promises and bless the oils to be used during the year.

My article in this issue of Salute tells you about my pastoral visits over the Christmas holidays. As I write I am looking forward to a number of visits to installations in South Carolina, the Northeast US, and the Far East. These visits are always occasions to bring the good news of salvation, to administer the sacraments, especially Confirmation, and to learn more about the challenges and obligations of this global flock. It is also the occasion to spend time with the priest chaplains and encourage them. I confess they are the ones who usually inspire me!

Toward the end of January I spent a week and visited the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, as well as, Hurlburt, Eglin, and Tyndall Air Force Bases. The visits were short and the weather was not particularly clement, but I appreciated the vibrancy of the Catholic Communities and the initiatives taking place there. After participating in a two day course on leadership for bishops, I joined twelve young men at a discernment retreat.

They were convoked by the AMS Vocation Director, Father John McLaughlin. Those were twelve more signs of hope for the future. Please continue to pray for an abundance of vocations.

As always, I express my gratitude to for your interest in and support of the activities and ministry of this vast Archdiocese over which the sun never sets. May the Risen Lord shower abundant blessings upon you and your loved ones in this joyful season. Please enjoy this issue of Salute.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio Archbishop

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA

SPRING 2010

VOLUME 4. NUMBER 1 SPRNG 2010

Table of Contents

A R C H D I O C E S E F O R T H E M I L I T A R Y S E RV I C E S , U S A

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Celebrating the Eucharist with the Troops Archbishop Broglio shares his Christmas visitations.

Education 18 Religious for the Troops in Afghanistan Challenges faced by troops in practicing their faith while deployed.

19 General Meyer help keep Marines 24 Chaplains in touch with their Faith COVER STORY: A Man of Faith, Family, and Country.

In a war zone…..”any time a Chaplains shows up, it’s Sunday”

25 Life is a Journey 28 Convocations

Andrew Young shares his journey to the Chaplaincy.

AMS gathers with priests world wide.

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA publishes SALUTE for the nation’s Bishops, active and retired military chaplains, and financial supporters of the Archdiocese.

SPRING 2010

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E A R C H D I O C E S E F O R T H E M I L I T A R Y S E RV I C E S , U S A

ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please send title, name, address, and phone number to: support@milarch.org or call: 202-719-3600 or write: Development Office, Archdiocese for

the Military Services, P.O. Box 4469, Washington, D.C. 20017-0469 Feedback, letters to the editor, & advertising inquiries: editor@milarch.org Website: www.milarch.org ON THE COVER: Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio presenting General Edward “Shy” Myer

with Archdiocesan Medal. illustration courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_C._Meyer

General Meyer A Man of Faith, Family, and Country See article on page 20

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO President

MONSIGNOR FRANK A. PUGLIESE Editorial Director

JO ANN REDMOND Editor

ERIC NEUNER | RPISTUDIOS Design Director

© 2010 - A PUBLICATION OF THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA - SERVING CATHOLICS IN THE ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINE CORPS, COAST GUARD,VA MEDICAL CENTERS, AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES OVERSEAS.

By ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO

Celebrating the Eucharist with the Troops ARCHBISHOP BROGLIO (LEFT IN BLACK) OBSERVING FROM FLIGHT DECK OF USS NIMITZ

ven though all of us are preparing for Easter, my intention is to recall the memorable days of the past Christmas Season when I had the privilege of visiting the faithful and the chaplains at the Air Force Base in Qatar, the Naval Support Station in Bahrain, and on the U.S.S. Nimitz.

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My departure was a bit difficult, because my flight to Newark was delayed and I missed my connections. I had declined the direct flight to Qatar from Dulles Airport to reduce expenses considerably, a constant consideration of the Archdiocese for the Military Services. The missed flight was a challenge, but a delightful agent from Continental Airlines rescheduled my flights and was eager to get me to Doha, Qatar in time to celebrate the Eucharist with the troops there. Unfortunately, another new connection was missed in London and I

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finally arrived at Al Udeid Air Base in time to greet the faithful on their way out of Midnight Mass. It was a great disappointment for me, but the men and women were still glad that I came. Later, I celebrated that First Mass of Christmas alone.

The next day I did manage to celebrate the Christmas Morning Mass with those assembled and visited with them and Generals Hostage, Hoog, and Wilson over brunch in the dining hall. My visit to Qatar had been shortened a day. Fathers Stephen

USS NIMITZ

Voyt and Robert Barnhill covered the gaps.

Undaunted Father James Danner of the US Navy and I set off for the USS Nimitz. I spent the two and a half hour flight with concerns about landing backwards on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. I was alone in my musings, because there was not much conversation due to the protective gear and ear plugs, but there was time to pray.

It struck me as amusing that someone as unadventurous as I am was flying out to land on an aircraft carrier. I was indeed a long way from how I spent my first Christmases as a priest.

Actually, the landing was more pleasant than I expected. However, I was glad to have landed before I witnessed what it was like on the flight deck the next day. The ship’s bell rang me aboard and I was greeted by the Captain and the Admiral, as well as Father Frank Foley from Philadelphia, the Catholic chaplain and command chaplain.

Watching the precision of pilots and ground crew on the flight deck was thrilling.

Each person has a role and everyone depends on each crew member doing his or her part according to the exact specifications of the need. The crew delighted in helping me learn about their task and I silently prayed that the young pilots on mission in the war zone would return safe and sound.

We concelebrated Mass in the ship’s chapel for St. Stephen’s Day and then were Admiral Miller’s guests for a fine dinner in his

quarters. The Navy chefs know how to produce wonders from the ship’s galleys and they do it with such apparent ease and good spirits.

In addition to the Eucharistic Liturgies aboard the Nimitz and the USS Sampson, a destroyer, the highlights of the visit were the moments with the crew on the decks, in the wardroom or the galley, or during the tour.

There was always a word of appreciation for my visit, a good word about the chaplain, or some faith concern. Captain Monger and his Executive Officer were excellent hosts. There was even a Navy pilot who had attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, my alma mater. Of course, we were not contemporaries!

When the ship docked in Dubai, Father Danner and I returned to Bahrain where Father Ronald Stake, a priest from Chicago, had prepared an interesting program both on the role of the installation and on the country in general. There was even an opportunity to spend some time with a Bahrainian couple.

In addition to meeting the Commanding Officer, Captain Sadsad and Admiral Gortney, I was able to confirm a group of young people and a military man. On New Year’s Eve, right after the confirmation Mass, the Catholic community gathered for a delightful supper. Once again people expressed their satisfaction for my visit. We also celebrated Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic (continued on next page 27) s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

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Bishop on the Move A

BISHOP RICHARD B. HIGGINS

rchbishop Broglio was heading to Kuwait and Bahrain and Bishop Estabrook was planning a Christmas trip to Saudi Arabia. Bishop Higgins had not decided on his plans for the holidays when news of the tragedy at Fort Hood hit the airwaves on 5 November. CNN was reporting, “at least 13 people were killed and 30 wounded in shootings on the post.” It was a simple decision for the bishop… he would travel to Fort Hood for Christmas!

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even weeks after the tragedy and not sure of what to expect Bishop Higgins was met at Fort Hood by Father Ed McCabe, the wonderful Army reserve priest (Archdiocese of Boston) who had responded to the massacre on the 5th of November. Father McCabe took the bishop to the Readiness Center, the scene of the incident. The building was secure and the adjacent structures were cordoned off. The only evidence that a tragedy had occurred here was a single bouquet of flowers jammed in the chain link fence and a cluster of tiny American flags in the corner of the parking lot.

Christmas Eve seemed untouched by the events of the previous month. They were focused on the “main event” of that evening, the birth of the Savior. Responding to their excitement, Bishop Higgins thought he would tease the young people and asked a somewhat awkward question…“can anyone tell me what would have happened if Jesus had not been born?”

Without missing a beat the young man dressed as Joseph responded….“our sins would not have been forgiven!” As Scripture says…“out of the mouths of babes…”

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eturning from Fort Hood Bishop Higgins departed the DC area New Year’s Day heading for North Palm Beach, Florida and the annual retreat for the bishops of Area IV and XIV. This mid-winter trip is usually 6,000 miles and 60 days for the bishop and encompasses visits to a significant number of military installations and VA Medical Centers throughout the Southeast. But this time it was different! While visiting MacDill Air Force Base the bishop suffered a mild cardiac event, he delightful young people who played the almost identical to the event that resulted various roles in the Nativity Play on in coronary by-pass surgery in 1998!

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o one mentioned the incident during the Christmas Masses at the Memorial Chapel, though several people expressed their gratitude to the bishop for his visit. Bishop Higgins will tell you “this is a tough community.

It has lost a lot of people in the eight years of war and it’s developed some effective coping skills. It’s a tight family and it cares for its people. The scars are there, but this community is moving on.”

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By AUXILIARY BISHOP RICHARD B. HIGGINS

MEMORIALS TO THE LIVES LOST AT FORT HOOD

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ishop Higgins “sings” the praises of the folks at MacDill and Tampa General Hospital…. “I could not have been in a better place or among better people if I had planned it. God is very good to me, again.” The bishop was released five days later to “resume normal activities as tolerated.” Now, try telling that Irishman to slow down and take care of himself!

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hile returning to DC Bishop Higgins took time to reflect on the extraordinary outpouring of support and prayers he received while recovering from his illness. “It is truly amazing and very humbling…. folks are so kind and thoughtful…and prayer is so powerful” remarks the bishop as he jumps into his car and heads off to Baltimore to attend the worldwide board meeting of the Military Council of Catholic Women!

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ishop Higgins has “pulled it out of afterburner” as he says and made a few adjustments to his schedule. God-willing, he hopes to head to Europe in March to visit our military communities in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Azores, returning Stateside late May. ✞ s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

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Bishop on the Move

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hen I met with the Chaplain of the United States Forces Korea he asked me what experience during my visit stood out the most? Without hesitation I replied that I was overwhelmed with the vibrancy and dedication of the Catholic People in the Military. Since November 2009 until the end of February 2010 I’ve been visiting our people in uniform—from the Middle East over Christmas to Asia in January and February. The Faith of our people is impressive. to share God’s love and that Why Catholic? had become a tremendous vehicle for her to do that.

I couldn’t help think of the words of Jesus in Luke 12:49, “I came to bring fire on the earth and how I want to see it burning.” We had 29 new leaders trained in San Diego for five new installations and 18 in Korea with groups formed throughout the peninsula.

BISHOP ESTABROOK AT THE SUNSHINE ORPHANAGE

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n January I was involved with a Why Catholic? training in San Diego and again in February with a training in Korea. One participant in San Diego insisted on attending the training despite the fact that she had just delivered a child the weekend before. Another woman in Korea stepped off a bus she had taken from Camp Humphries, an hour south of our Retreat Center in Seoul, holding a 10 day old child in her arms. Both women attended the training because they had witnessed how effective Why Catholic? could be and were absolutely committed to it. One of the women, Mary, commented that she felt a fire burning inside her

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hose stationed at Eskan Village in Saudi Arabia rarely see a Catholic Priest but continue to meet each week with leaders who are alive in their Catholic Faith and who are trying to keep the community involved. Inspired by their determination the CENTCOM chaplain, Father Danner, has identified a priest that will be stationed there full time.

Many Filipino's who work in Saudi Arabia for minimal pay and who will lose their jobs if it were discovered they were attending Mass— come aboard the Base and enhance the Prayer Life of the Catholic community through their music and an incredible choir. My experience was the same in Singapore. The Franciscan Custos had insisted that the Franciscans could no longer support the community there because

By BISHOP JOSEPH W. ESTABROOK

would be a source of strength for the growing communities in Korea. The Army has decided to bring more families to the peninsula expanding the Church Communities will expand greatly over the next five years. The L: BISHOP ESTABROOK DURING MIRANAE MASS AT ST KIM'S GRAVE R: BISHOP ESTABROOK AND FATHER DAVE VOLKER, OSAN AFB deacon-candidates hope they can be an integral part of building up the Catholic community there.

I LUNCH WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN SINGAPORE

n Camp Casey near the DMZ I met with many Soldiers and had an open discussion about the Church in the Armed Forces and how the AMS can better address the needs of our active duty Soldiers. One young soldier later told me how inspired he was when he heard his Commander voice such strong feelings about his faith. He said, “I knew he was Catholic but never saw that side to him—his strong faith, and it was inspiring.”

of few priests and tremendous commitments throughout Malaysia. He had asked the assigned priest to let the people know the contract would not be renewed. The priest could never bring himself to break the bad news to n Guam, the story is the same. The Catholic the people before he left. When the Custos People are the lifeblood of these Faith himself went to the Base the next week to let them know the Franciscans could not con- communities. Their strong faith is supported by tinue, he was met with such a vibrant and wel- the rich Catholic culture on the island. coming community he could not tell them ast of all—the priests, while few and far either. And so he continues to minster to the between, are a tremendous source of Active Duty Military stationed there himself. strength. All the priests I met with throughout The people’s faith is heartwarming. my visitations were inspiring. My visit was a ikewise the young active duty Soldiers and good opportunity to bring together these priests Airmen who attended the Vocation serving in isolated areas. They are truly dediDiscernment Workshop in Korea have stepped cated and committed. Everywhere I went the up to voice their desire to be priests and their senior officers all pointed to their commitment enthusiasm was invigorating. I met with five dea- and hard work and were grateful for the fine con candidates and their spouses for dinner and priests they had—not only as good priests, but they too were full of hope that the deaconate competent officers. ✞

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Vocation Update

By FATHER JOHN MCLAUGHLIN

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ecently we invited 12 young men to the Bethany Retreat Center in Lutz, Florida.

It is called the “Step Closer” Retreat. This retreat was by invitation only to those young men that have been to previous Discernment Retreats and demonstrated a serious vocation.

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e invited a noted speaker, Rev. Msgr.

Eugene Morris. He was featured on the second DVD of the Fishers of Men. He has two radio programs, is a pastor and runs the Deaconate program for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Archbishop Broglio was able to attend and devoted a great deal of time to our young men.

They were most grateful to have him there to answer their many questions.

The focus for the weekend was, “Where am I in the discernment process?”. It was a great week of talks, prayer and reflection.

Unfortunately, one of our young men was unable to attend because he was called to service in Haiti. I’m sure he is doing great work

”STEP CLOSER” RETREAT

for the people of that devastated island nation.

The Serrans made a very large donation to make this, our second “Step Closer” retreat, a wonderful success. The group at Bethany was inspiring, faith-filled young men that are dedicated to the Church and the priesthood.

We had 4 young men go directly into the seminary from last year’s group. We are hopeful that a number of these young men will be entering the seminary this year or next.

Currently we are preparing for our next Discernment Retreat which will be held once again at St. Patrick’s seminary in Menlo Park, outside of San Francisco, CA. Last year we had 40 young men at this retreat. ✞

Passing of Alexander Haig

By ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO

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he Archdiocese for the Military Services joins the Nation in remembering General Alexander Haig.

His multi-faceted service to the United States included many years dedicated to the Army, at the command of SHAPE, in the administrations of three Presidents and finally as Secretary of State. However, the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese remember his constant support of the Church. In particular, the generous contribution of his family to the Capital Campaign assisted greatly in the completion of the present AMS headquarters building in Washington.

On behalf of the Auxiliary Bishops, the clergy, the chaplains, the staff, and all of the faithful, I express my heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Haig and to Alexander, Brian, and Barbara and assure them of our prayers. We believe that death is the threshold of eternal life and we pray that General Haig might enjoy that lasting peace. ✞

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By DR. MARK MOITOZA

March for Life 2010 FATHER JOSEPH HANNON AND ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO AT 2010 MARCH FOR LIFE

Washington, D.C. — The 37th annual March for Life was held at the National Mall on the anniversary of Roe versus Wade, January 22nd.

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he morning started early for those who attended the overnight prayer vigil at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. At 7:30am Archbishop Broglio presided at the Solemn Mass for Life. The Basilica was filled with those who had traveled from across the nation to stand up for life.

The archbishop referenced St. Paul and the prophet Ezekiel during his homily when he said, “we cannot fail to warn our brothers and sisters when a fundamental error has been made.” He further noted, “We would be held responsible for that error if we did not teach the truth effectively in love.”

Highlighting the gift of our call the archbishop said, “The privilege of being called – of receiving the Christian vocation – includes the duty to work effectively in defense of the defenseless; to show the right path; and to contribute to a world more clearly patterned on the golden potential endowed on the human person, created in the image and likeness of Almighty God.” At the end of Mass Archbishop Broglio encouraged young people with the following charge: “You have all the possibilities to make this a better world. Draw on the strength of the sacraments and the grace of God to make this world a better place.”

“You have all the possibilities to make this a better world.

Draw on the strength of the sacraments and the grace of God to make this world a better place.”

The Solemn Mass was broadcast live on EWTN. Archbishop Broglio’s entire homily may be read online: https://milarch.org/index/ archbishop.

Later in the day Archbishop Broglio and members of the AMS staff joined the March for Life, carrying the flag of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. In the ever growing gathering of marchers we were grateful for the opportunity to meet Father Joseph Hannon, US Army Catholic Priest from Fort Leavenworth, KS, who accompanied a group of military-connected high school youth and adult leaders.

Together, those from near and far, stood up for the defenseless by promoting the dignity of life from conception to natural death.

It was indeed a day for Christians to do their part to make the world a better place. ✞ For planning purposes be aware that next year the March for Life will be held on Monday, January 24, 2011 since the 22nd falls on a Saturday and most lawmakers are out of town.

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Armed with the Faith: 4 Edition Knights of Columbus Prayer Book Delivered TH

By COLONEL CHARLES H. GALLINA, USMC/RET

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n January 30th, a cold, snowy morning in the Nation’s Capital, 100,000 copies of the 4th Edition of the “field” version of the AWTF prayer book, produced and published by the Knights of Columbus in collaboration with the Archdiocese of the Military Services (AMS), USA, were delivered to the AMS for distribution ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO BLESSING “ARMED WITH THE FAITH” PRAYER BOOKS BEFORE BEING RELEASED FOR SHIPMENT TO OUR TROOPS. through the Chaplains to our Catholic military men and women. 21 Knights of Columbus, principally from James Cardinal Hickey Prince of the Church Assembly 2534 in DC and five of its affiliated Councils (see list of these stalwart Knights on following page), along with members of AMS staff, braved the elements and offloaded the 2000 boxes containing the prayer books.

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ith a back log of over 40,000 books, 51 boxes containing 2550 copies were prepared for immediate shipment to APO/FPO addresses overseas. Another 750 boxes with approximate 37,450 copies were readied for shipment to CONUS commands. The two shipments were blessed by His Excellency, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio prior to pickup and shipment This leaves 60,000 copies available for order by our Chaplains from the AMS (attn: Ms Joann Redmond, jredmond@milarch.org).

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ince the 1st Edition AWTF was produced in 2004, 500,000 of these KofC produced prayer books have been produced and delivered by our Catholic, as well as Chaplains of other denominations to our Catholic Warriors and to those military men and women interested in our Faith. AWTF has been called the “greatest evangelization tool” and handbook our Catholic Chaplains have in carrying out their spiritual mission. The new version features an accompanying letter from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio and, at His Excellency’s request, Pope Benedict XVI’s Prayer at Ground Zero during his 2007 visit to New York. ✞

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Letters from Recipients of AWTF My Brother Knights, I just wanted to take a moment and express my extreme gratitude for the ministry of the “Armed with Faith” prayer books. Chaplain Mike Derienzo and I shared an extremely difficult tour in Iraq — both physically, through the casualties our units received and spiritually - truly being in the desert — where you considered it a blessing if you had access to a Priest once a month as some of our smaller outposts saw Father once during the entire deployment. The strength and support of the prayers found in the "Armed with Faith" books that Chaplain Mike passed out to his Catholic Troopers helped carry me through the quiet hours in the room away from the Operations Center.

Thank you for your continued support to Chaplain Mike as he continues to look after our Catholic Brothers and Sisters in their preparation for deployment at the National Training Center.

Your Brother in Christ, John A. Sinclair

LTC, SC To My Dear Knights of Columbus, I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I love your "Armed with Faith" prayer book.

My husband gave me a plain paper version before one of his tours to Iraq in 2006. We'd just begun schooling at home, and this little prayer book was a great inspiration to our efforts. I love paging through and seeing the wonderful prayers and finding the nuts and bolts of our faith. It's still one of my favorites, and I'm so glad that it's still in production. Every Catholic family - not just those of the Knights — needs this wonderful gem.

Blessings, Jennifer Sinclair

Volunteers for the Day NAME JASON AUGUSTINE RICHARD BRANSON JOHN CAHILL ANTHONY COLBERT

DANIEL CORRIN MAURO FARINELLI STEPHEN FEILER CHERLES GALLINA

PETER GERVAIS CONOR HALLORAN OTTO HECK BRO JIM HENTZ JACK HERETIK BRAD KELLY WILLIAM KIRST TIM MCEVOY TIM POST ANGELA REDMOND THOMAS REDMOND JOANN REDMOND STEVEN RYCKBOSCH TIMOTHY SACCOCCIA LTC NICK SCOPELITE MATTHEW SHEPTUCK SCOTT SHILER AARON TATYREK TIFFANY WAITS MATTHEW WILLIAMS Franklin Woodbury

COUNCIL 11302 CHANCELLOR 11302 FN 9542 DGK 10008 PSD; STATE CEREMONIALS DIRECTOR 433 FS 14382 DD 6375 ADMIN ASST. TO SUPREME KNIGHT(SK) 11302 PSD; ASST. TO THE SK FOR MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS 11302 IPSD 6375 11302 FS AMS 11302 9542 GK AMS 9542 14382 VMI VMI AMS 6375 GK 13242 STATE ADVOCATE 11302 6375 11302 GK 11302 AMS 14823 GK 433

NOTES 433 - Potomac Council, DC 6375 - Georgetown University Council, DC 9542 - Catholic University of America Council, DC 10004 - St. Cyprian Council DC 11302 - Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle Council, DC 13242 - George Washington University Council, DC 14823 - St. Michael Archangel Council, Bolling AFB VMI - Virginia Military Institute PSD - Past State Deputy IPSD - Immediate Past State Deputy GK - Grand Knight FN - Faithful Navigator FS - Financial Secretary DGK - Deptuy Grand Knight DD - District Deputy AMS - Archdiocese s pforrthe i nMilitary g 2Services, 0 1 0 USA

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By LISA MIKLOS

Military Council of Catholic Women Worldwide We are building the City of God!

BISHOP RICHARD B. HIGGINS WITH MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN 2010

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he Military Council of Catholic Women Worldwide just concluded our February Board of Directors Meeting and Journey of Faith review. Nineteen women, two Priests, along with Bishop Higgins came together in Baltimore Maryland at the Tremont Plaza Hotel to hold a board meeting, receive valuable training, and prepare for our 2010 Worldwide Training Conference.

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CCW-Worldwide meets as a full board just once a year. We are fortunate to be able to bring not only our Executive board but also our Board of Directors (the Regional Directors and the Resource Chairpersons) from all corners of the world together for a few days of unity and growth. The last two years we’ve included the Regional Financial Secretaries in

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our gathering as we have recognized just how vital face-to-face training is for them. Our Worldwide and our Regional Boards have opportunities for training like at no other time in our MCCW past (thanks to the generosity of the Army Chief of Chaplains’ office through the mandated yearly designated offering in all Army Chapels).

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ome of the highlights of our time together consisted of fellowship and growth in relationship; of reporting out of the good work that is being done in our Regions; of the presentation of our newly written Conference Planning Guide; of the refinement of the Shelia Baker Award; and of the briefing of how the 2010 Worldwide Conference is shaping up (the theme of which is “Let us Build the City of God”). One other major topic we addressed, which will be of interest to all who are part of AMS, was how we might unveil the MCCW-Worldwide new perpetual charity, The Bishop John J. Kaising Scholarship Fund for Seminarians. The official announcement of this scholarship fund will surely be a highlight of our conference.

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he MCCW Journey of Faith program is our travel training program. MCCW sends, at no cost to the individual Chapel, two trainers to any military chapel anywhere in the world, to help that chapel either foster growth in a newly formed group, bolster a floundering group, or refresh a strong and vibrant group.

We are excited to be able to announce the re-writes of our existing Journey of Faith Modules as well as the inclusion of a new Module for Board Training. Two other new Modules are also in the works. Carol Fountain (founder of the Journey of Faith program), Beth Manning, Jeanne Sexton, Alba Thompson, Susan Boling, and I, extended our Board Meeting

stay and worked on these re-writes and new modules. The first opportunity to showcase the revitalized program will be on April 21st at Fort Belvoir. We look forward to bringing Journey of Faith far and wide around the world!

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e in MCCW look forward to participating once again in the AMS Memorial Day Mass. We are blessed to be able to contribute by leading the Rosary before the Mass begins. We will, for the third time, be offering the Rosary for Warriors Meditations (Written by Lynda MacFarland) while praying the Sorrowful Mysteries. Two Uniformed, Active Duty MCCW members will participate in the offertory procession.

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n a final note, the MCCW-Worldwide board extends it’s heartfelt thanks to Father Joseph Fleury for his tenure as our Spiritual Moderator Father Joe jumped in with both feet and has served along side us each and every day of his tenure. We did have a wonderful occasion to bid farewell Father Joe while we were in Baltimore. Tears of joy and sadness flowed! Thanks, as well, go to Mongisnor Brian Donahue who has assumed the position of Spiritual Moderator. We look forward to each moment of his service with MCCW. ✞ God Bless, In His Service, Lisa Miklos President, MCCW-Worldwide

SAVE THE DATE:

16th Annual Memorial Day Mass 16 May 2010 Great Upper Church Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

4:30 pm

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By MARK T. MOITOZA, D.MIN.

Deployment Panel For Youth

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he Call To Duty was the theme of the second Emerald Coast Military ROTC PARTICIPANTS AT ECMCYC REMEMBERING THOSE Catholic Youth ConferMISSING IN ACTION AT THE AWARDS BANQUET ence held in Sandestin, FL from January 8-10, 2010. While there were many highlights one particular segment stood out. On Saturday afternoon 10 high school youth and several recently deployed active duty parents openly discussed the challenges and rewards of being a military brat as part of a Deployment Panel.

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ach person on the panel introduced himself or herself and spoke about his or her recent experiences of dealing with the reality of deployments. After the introductions, the conference participants were invited to ask the panel any question about how they dealt with deployment in their life.

As the session progressed it was almost as if a litany of prayers were being called out to God. Military brats voiced their experiences of frustration and longing as well as the joy of anticipation experienced while awaiting the return of a deployed parent. Some of the feelings expressed were:

• • • • • • • • •

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Deployment can be one of God’s mysterious blessings

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We depend on friends We learn how to be together while we are apart

As these “brats” shared experiences they dove into the challenges of the transitions caused by deployments. They know how to deal with transitions when they move to a new installation, but dealing with transitions while they stay in the same place creates vastly different experiences and emotions.

Skype and e-mail have done much to keep families together during deployment.

In addition to technology, these young people Being a military brat, you live a different life also stressed the importance of their friends It puts more responsibility on us and the Catholic Church to help them stay It is hard to keep the family together balanced throughout the challenges of Deployments demand a lot of sacrifice frequent deployments. ECMCYC reminded all There are gifts of the adult leaders of the tremendous It’s hard (articulated by several youth) sacrifice that young people make in service to Who is my parent? our country as they support their parents in uniIt’s great when they return form. May God continue to bless these young We meet new people all the time people as they follow their “Call To Duty.” ✞

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By DEACON MICHAEL YAKIR

From the Chancellor

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irst, I would like to thank everyone who sent me an email, a card or called me on the phone to welcome me to the AMS. Your response was overwhelming and humbling. I appreciate your expressions of welcome, prayers and best wishes.

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t has been an interesting three months since a deacon. Put the two together and she actually our last printing of Salute. The Air Force thought that I did reenlist. I had to assure her chaplain recruiters invited me to join them that I didn’t because I am too old and they are in their efforts to recruit 8 priests to the Air Force only recruiting priests, not deacons.

I left there impressed in more ways than Chaplaincy. Being an Air Force vet I couldn’t say one. I was struck with the prono. I joined them in Colorado fessionalism of all the military Springs and spent several days men and women that I met. with the priests who were I hope that all Every one of them! They were considering joining the Air of you pray for very respectful and it was very Force. While there I met and encourage evident that they were well several active duty officers and priestly trained and they enjoyed their enlisted who told the priests vocations and jobs. For the almost twenty years how important Catholic even encourage just prior to my joining the chaplains are to the servicea priest that AMS I was an executive of a men and women and their construction firm. I would have you know to families. I met chaplains who been proud to have every man consider a told everyone how much they and woman that I met on this chaplaincy in enjoyed their military service trip as a member of my staff. I left and how fulfilled they felt in the military. feeling very secure in knowing their ministry. And I smiled that these men and women are when I saw the eight civilian providing me with the safety, priests walk through a hanger and get up close and personal with several jets for the first time in security and freedoms that I enjoy everyday. their lives. They were like kids in a candy store. To all of you serving our country, I thank you!

On this same trip a Major General gave a I smiled because it reminded me of my arrival at my first duty station over 40 years ago when I put talk on how important faith is to him, especially my hands on a F-4E Phantom II. At the end of as a military leader, and how important the the trip I called my wife and told her how chaplains have been to him and his family as successful the trip was and how I had just they were assigned all over the world during reenlisted. The problem is that she believed me his career. His story reminded me of a true because she knows how much I enjoy anything story from back in the 80’s. A man who was an (continued on next page 30) to do with aviation and how much I enjoy being s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

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By REVEREND PATRICK J. TRAVERS, CHAPLAIN, MAJOR, U.S. AIR FORCE

Religious Education for Troops in Afghanistan Fosters Vibrant Catholic Community

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atholics who are deployed to combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan face many challenges in the practice of their faith. They are uprooted from their home parishes and chapel communities, as well as from their families.

The uncertainty and even danger in which they live and work tends to discourage the kind of regular, planned religious practice that is so important for those who take their faith seriously.

Even when, as at some of the larger bases, large numbers of Catholics can come together with their chaplains to celebrate the Eucharist and enjoy other forms of ministry, the constant turnover in people and missions can make a sense of community difficult to attain.

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he Catholic community at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, the largest military base in that country, has faced all of these challenges. It includes troops of all the United States military services and Coalition forces, civilian government employees, and civilian contractors from a variety of nations. The collaborative efforts of Catholic chaplains and committed lay people have nevertheless led to a strong Catholic community life at Bagram. Each weekend, nine wellattended Masses are celebrated at the main Enduring Faith Chapel and several other chapels and locations around the sprawling and rapidly expanding base. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has already led three new Catholics into the Church, with several more preparing for initiation by Easter. Under a special delegation

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from Archbishop Broglio, twelve community members were confirmed just before Christmas, and another Confirmation group is in formation.

A dedicated, talented Catholic choir provides music at Catholic liturgies and ecumenical events. The Bagram Round Table of the Knights of Columbus welcomed nine new First Degree members in January. The choir and the Knights collaborated in Christmas caroling and sharing clothing and Christmas stockings with patients at the Bagram military hospital, including both sick and wounded warriors and local Afghans.

A big factor in the liveliness of the Bagram Catholic Community, which is under the patronage of Saint Michael the Archangel, is a highly successful program of adult religious education that has occurred in recent months.

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1. {L} REVEREND PATRICK J. TRAVERS WITH REVEREND MATTHEW FOLEY | 2. & 3. {C} BAPTISMS AT BAF | 4. {R} CAROLING GROUP AT BAF HOSPITAL

In September 2009, Army Catholic chaplains Father Matt Foley and Father Alan Irizarry and Army Major Dan Bridon collaborated to present a course on Church history published by Ascension Press. Epic: A Journey Through Church History consists of a series of twenty lectures on DVD by religious educator Steve Weidenkopf with associated study materials.

The lectures have been presented at the Enduring Faith Chapel, Bagram’s largest worship area on Friday evenings, moderated by Major Bridon, Father Foley, Army Captain Thomas O’Keefe, and Air Force chaplain Father Pat Travers. Each presentation is preceded by an hour-long opportunity for Confessions, and followed by the recitation of the Rosary. The first session on September 11, 2009, attracted about fifty participants, and subsequent classes were also well attended.

As time went on, some happy challenges arose. Catholics rotating into Bagram after the start of the program wanted to be able to watch the lectures they had missed. The same was true of those who had to miss one or more sessions due to operational requirements. Meeting these needs with only the original set of ten DVDs was extremely difficult. The supply of printed study materials was also much smaller than needed at Bagram. And it was clear that Catholics at other locations in Afghanistan would benefit from the Epic program. Chaplains and lay members of the Saint Michael’s Community discussed among themselves how to meet these needs. Army Lieutenant Colonel George Walsh, a Knight of

the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, suggested that the Order might be of assistance. He contacted the American Chancellor of the Order, Mr. Jeff Ludwig, who quickly approved the purchase of four more Epic DVD sets and two hundred sets of study materials.

Another Knight of Saint George coordinated the shipping of these items to Afghanistan, where Lieutenant Colonel Walsh received them in November 2009. The DVDs and study materials are now being used at Bagram; by Coalition forces at Friese Chapel at Kandahar Airfield; and by smaller Catholic communities in other parts of Afghanistan.

Epic has inspired many Catholics at Bagram to appreciate their Catholic faith in new and wonderful ways, and to become excited about their faith. As this has occurred, the Catholic Community there has developed in the ways mentioned above, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Spirit will bring similar results to Catholics at other locations in Afghanistan, and that the challenges of being Catholic while deployed in that country will be transformed into opportunities for new experiences of faith. ✞ The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George is an ancient and internationally recognized Order of Knighthood which, from its remotest origins, has resolvedto work for the glorification of the Cross, the propagation of the Faith, and the defense of the Holy Roman Church, to which it is strictly bound through special merits acquired in the East.

Members of the Order continue to be extremely supportive of the mission of the AMS.

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By WILLIAM D. KIRST

General Edward “Shy” Meyer Recipient of Medal of the AMS A Man of Faith, Family, and Country

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n December 11th, 2009 Archbishop Broglio awarded the former Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Edward C. “Shy” Meyer, the Medal of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA for his many years of extraordinary commitment and contributions to the Military Archdiocese. The citation reads as follows:

Citation To Accompany the Award Of the Medal Of The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA To General Edward C. Meyer, USA (Ret.) General Edward C. (“Shy”) Meyer distinguished himself by his meritorious service to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA in many ways. These include: Chairman of the Archdiocesan Capital Campaign Committee; Member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council; and as a long time, generous benefactor. For over two decades, General Meyer has been a dedicated Catholic advocate for the Archdiocese. He has demonstrated superb leadership and initiative in enthusiastically and consistently communicating its mission, programs, and needs. As a result of his leadership of the Capital Campaign Committee, the five initiatives and all financial goals were achieved. Serving as a key member of the Finance Council and drawing on his past leadership experience and strong Catholic values he has provided invaluable counsel to the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, its bishops, priests, and lay faithful are most grateful to General Meyer for his extraordinary commitment and multiple contributions to the welfare of the Catholic communities served by the Archdiocese.

Awarded this eleventh day of December, in the year of Our Lord 2009.

Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio Archdiocese for the Military Services

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ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO PRESENTING GENERAL EDWARD “SHY” MEYER WITH ARCHDIOCESAN MEDAL

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eneral Meyer was born and raised in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1951 where he was an outstanding athlete, especially Lacrosse. He served for 32 years in the US Army in many command and staff roles, including combat tours in Korea and Vietnam (twice).

On his first combat tour in Vietnam he served as the Executive Officer of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division that fought the battle that changed the war in Vietnam — the Ia Drang Valley. The battle was memorialized in the book and film, “We were Soldiers Once… and Young.” In Vietnam his combat leadership was characterized by bravery, concern for his soldiers, and tactical innovation.

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ising rapidly through the ranks to General, he was selected in 1979 as the Army’s 29th Chief of Staff (the highest ranking officer in the Army) and served two Presidents, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. (Prior Army Chiefs of Staff include Generals: Pershing, MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower, Bradley, Ridgway, and Abrams.)

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he General met and married his wife Carol at Fort Benning, Georgia. She was the daughter of a career Army officer. Carol recalls that a young officer – LT Edward Meyer - caught her attention because he was a very strong, practicing Catholic. Married now for 55 years, they have five adult children who grew up on many military bases in the USA and in Europe. (continued on page 22) s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

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General Edward “Shy” Meyer Recipient of Medal of the AMS A Man of Faith, Family, and Country

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or General Meyer, the chaplains have always been a very important part of any unit. He expected them to provide for the spiritual and morale needs of his troops and take care of the soldiers and their families. In turn he strongly trusted and supported them with words and actions.

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or the Meyer family, Catholic chaplains have always been an important part of their life. An Army chaplain married Carol and (then) LT Meyer, and all of their children have received the sacraments (baptism to matrimony) from unit or base chaplains. One of those chaplains was Father “Charlie” McDonnell, who was the Division Chaplain (1974-76) of the 3rd Infantry Division in Wurzburg, Germany when “Shy” Meyer was the Commanding General.

Father “Charlie” is now a retired Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Newark and has been a long time friend of the Meyer family. Bishop McDonnell said this of the General and his family: “An exemplary leader trusted by the soldiers who would willingly follow him. He lived his Faith every day. His family is close and very Catholic.”

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nother former Chaplain that was an important part of the Meyer family was the late Bishop John J. Kaising, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services. Prior to his ordination as Bishop, he served for 29 years as an Army Chaplain and provided wise and practical counsel for thousands of young Army families. General and Carol Meyer described him as “somebody you could really talk to about military family issues. He loved his priesthood and he loved his Country.”

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(continued from page 21)

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he Archbishop of Baltimore, The Most Reverend Edwin F. O’Brien, had these reflections on General Meyer: “I met young officer “Shy” Meyer years ago when, as a newly ordained priest, I served at West Point and he, strong Catholic and loyal alumnus, would visit the parish on occasion. Many years later, he came to my rescue when, as Archbishop for the Military Services, he helped us spread the word of our Archdiocese and build a brand-new Archdiocesan headquarters. A leader for both Church and Country, he never forgets his roots.”

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hroughout his life, General Meyer has demonstrated the essence of commitment.

From the viewpoint of this global Archdiocese, I can say that he is a model lay Catholic. He makes use of his talents for the good of all, he is generous, and never takes his hand away from the plough. While his regular participation in the deliberations of the Finance Council will be missed, I know that I can always count on his advice and his assistance for any question or project that crosses my desk. It was a privilege for me to confer the AMS Medal on him.”

(Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio)

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t West Point, the shared values are embodied in the motto – “Duty, Honor, Country”. For General Edward “Shy” Meyer they are “Faith, Family, and Country. For his outstanding service to the Church and the Military, the Archdiocese is most grateful for his committed leadership, and honored to award him the Medal of the Military Archdiocese. ✞ For more information visit our website at: www.milarch.org

AMS Annual Lenten Pilgrimage

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e are now in the midst of our Annual Lenten Pilgrimage. The liturgy often uses the image of a struggle to describe our efforts to develop our prayer life, cultivate virtue, and avoid evil.

Traditionally, the Church recommends prayer, reading the Bible, frequenting the sacraments, doing penance, and giving alms as the best practices for our pilgrimage. These are good ways to develop our relationship with the Lord.

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our Lenten alms offered to the Military Archdiocese will be a source of strength for those the Archdiocese is called to serve and will allow it to continue the programs of education and support. These include the two projects of our thriving Vocations Program made possible by your generosity.

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SEMINARY CO-SPONSORSHIP

participate in free discernment weekends. Just one weekend can easily cost $30,000. Four of these will be held this year in order to meet the increasing interest in vocations.

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s we engage in the annual spiritual retreat of the whole Church, we frequently hear references to the struggle between good and evil. We recognize that struggle in our lives, but we see it vividly in the news media on a global scale. The pastoral ministry of the Archdiocese for the Military Services attempts to “arm” our young men and women with the tools of the faith so that they can also be disseminators of the Gospel.

has twenty-three seminarians preparing for ministry in the Chaplain Corps and an additional 10 – 15 candidates from the over 400 current enquires received to date. The Archdiocese for the Military Services is committed to providing up to one half the cost of preparing each one of them. Just one year in seminary adds up to ill you help this Archdiocese this $25,000. After ordination and three years in Lenten Season to continue to provide a parish, these men will join the military chaplaincy. They represent our best hope for all of its programs of spiritual pastoral care.

Please return your gift today in the postagethe future. paid envelope. You may also donate online at • OCATION ISCERNMENT www.milarch.org. allows members of the Armed Forces interested in exploring their call to priestly service to

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By JOHN WILKENS, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Chaplains help keep Marines in touch with their faith R

eligion often happens on a schedule, with worship services at certain times on certain days.

In a war zone, the certainty disappears.

“Any time a chaplain shows up, it’s Sunday,” said the Reverend William Kennedy.

Kennedy, a Catholic priest who has been an active-duty chaplain since 1992, will soon head to Afghanistan with Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton. He knows from experience that flexibility will be a key part of the assignment.

Mass won’t always be celebrated in a comfortable chapel on a big U.S. base. It might take place on the back of a truck in a mountain outpost.

Not everybody in uniform is of the same faith, so Kennedy’s duties might involve tracking down a Book of Mormon or lining up food for a Seder.

As the Reverend Michael Mikstay, another longtime chaplain, puts it: “There is no such thing as an average day over there.”

Religious figures have traveled to war with the military since ancient times, initially as a spiritual weapon: God is on our side.

Modern-day chaplains lead religious services, provide counseling and emotional support for troops, offer advice to commanders on morale issues and sometimes act as a moral compass.

“But when all is said and done, it’s really about providing access to one of our fundamental rights — the freedom of religion,” Mikstay said.

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Capt. Kennedy, originally from Boston, and Cmdr. Mikstay, from Youngstown, Ohio, are Navy chaplains currently assigned to the Marine Corps. Each has served in the battleTOP: REVEREND (CAPT) fields of Iraq and AfgWILLAM KENNEDY hanistan. They expect BOTTOM: REVEREND (CMDR) their upcoming deployMICHAEL MIKSTAY ment to last about a year.

The priests will carry small kits with them wherever they go. Inside are vestments, prayer books, wine for Communion. The wine sometimes causes problems in regions where alcohol is forbidden, a minor complication in the grand scheme of things, the chaplains said.

“The biggest issue in a war zone is that people are getting injured and killed, and you’re dealing with all the emotions of that,” Kennedy said.

Grief counseling serves a dual purpose — to help troops deal with the loss of a comrade and to get them ready for doing battle another day.

It helps that chaplains enjoy confidentiality privileges unlike almost anyone else in the military. Service members can come in, vent and know it won’t get them in trouble, Kennedy and Mikstay said.

Chaplains aren’t armed, and they’re considered noncombatants under the Geneva Conventions. There’s been one fatality in their

By BISHOP RICHARD B. HIGGINS

PHOTO BY K.C. ALFRED/THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

ranks during the current wartime engagements: the Rev. Timothy Vakoc, an Army chaplain from Minnesota who died in June from longterm injuries sustained in a 2004 roadside bombing in Iraq.

Kennedy and Mikstay said it’s not unusual to find extreme religious reactions in a war zone. Some who aren’t spiritual have battlefield conversions and want to be baptized. Others who considered themselves devout experience unimagined horrors and question their faith.

“They are a long way from their homes and their families, and some of them ask the big questions,” Kennedy said. “They have the space there to do that.”

War of course means death, and memorial services are part of chaplain duty. The ceremonies often happen on the fly — in the field, near a temporary memorial of the dead Marine’s rifle, helmet, boots and dog tags.

“It’s very moving at the end, when everybody comes up one by one to pay their respects,” Kennedy said.

For him, satisfaction comes from being a priest in a challenging environment and “knowing that people would not be able to practice their faith were I not there.”

Mikstay said he considers the chaplaincy a calling within a calling.

“You are living the life of the people you serve,” he said. “You wear the same uniform.

You don’t sleep in a rectory. If they’re in the field, I’m in the field.”

And if he’s in the field, he knows he’ll have his own issues to deal with. Chaplains typically turn to one another for counsel and support.

“When you are in a war zone,” Mikstay said, “everyone is affected.” ✞ REPRINTED WITH PERMISSIONS FROM UNION-TRIBUNE (SIGN ON SAN DIEGO)

A GENTLE GIANT IS CALLED HOME

BISHOP HIGGINS PRESENTING FATHER PAT WITH ARCHDIOCESAN MEDAL

FATHER PAT “PADRAIG” KENNY “He wasn’t even an American citizen, but he loved America. Even more, he loved the wounded warriors of America.” Father Pat Kenny, the legendary contract chaplain at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, died 25 November in his beloved Walter Reed Medical Center. Born in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland, Father Pat was ordained for the diocese of Auckland, New Zealand. After 18 years in New Zealand, Father Pat came to study psychology and theology at the Catholic University of America. He began his ministry at Walter Reed in 1980. Conservative estimates suggest that while Father Kenny was at Walter Reed he conducted roughly 150,000 patient visits, ministered to well over 60,000 family members, conducted 9,000 counseling sessions, celebrated in excess of 10,000 Masses and administered the Sacrament of the Sick on at least 15,000 occasions. As one of the Walter Reed staff members put it “no greater witness to the Lord has ever walked the corridors of Walter Reed.” In 2007 Father Pat was awarded the Medal of the Archdiocese for the Military Services in recognition of his exemplary ministry to the patients and staff of Walter Reed. His four siblings, Lucy Kenny, Bernadette Doyle, Raymond Kenny and Evelyn Kenny RSM, survive Father Kenny.

Archbishop Broglio presided at his funeral Mass at the WRMAC on 4 December 2009.

Father Pat was interred in his native Ireland.

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By ANDREW YOUNG – DIOCESE OF SIOUX FALLS

Life is a Journey

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rowing up in the plains of Mitchell, South Dakota, I had the dream of every young child to become a fireman, policeman, or a doctor. It was not until I entered the fourth grade and began serving at Mass that the idea of becoming a priest entered my mind. As I went through middle school and high school, I really did not think too much about the priesthood; instead, I became more focused on other avenues in life. Upon graduation from high school, I received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, which began an entirely new and adventurous ten years of my life. Before I departed for Annapolis, I went to say goodbye to my grandmother, whom I loved dearly and has since passed away. She told me that “life is a journey” and that you have to follow where your heart takes you.

These words have stayed with me ever since.

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ANDREW YOUNG IN UNIFORM

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uring my four years at Annapolis, I grew in military knowledge, demeanor, and maturity, but I also grew in my faith and love for God. I began to trust more in God and less on my own abilities. I began to live out my faith, regularly going to Mass and receiving the Sacraments. While at the Academy, I again began to discern the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest and felt a strong calling to do so, but that would have to wait until I had fulfilled my five year military commitment. Upon graduation in 1999, I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps…ooorahhh!

My six years as an active duty Marine were years that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Once a marine, always a marine! These years provided me with the opportunity to grow even deeper in my love for Christ, to abandon myself to His will in very difficult situations, and to learn from my fellow marines what it means to sacrifice one’s life for friend and country.

While serving in the Marine Corps, I was deployed twice, once to Afghanistan after 9-11 and then to Iraq for the first eight months of the war.

These experiences will forever impact my outlook on life. The Holy Spirit was always with us and could be seen through the men of my unit, some of whom came to the military without any real faith or had fallen away from their beliefs. These men came back to the Church and found God – abandoning their lives to His plan.

As there were so few Catholic priests in Iraq, I was trained to be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, to bring the Body of Christ to marines and sailors on Sundays.

On Easter Sunday 2003, while stationed in Sadr City, one of the sections of Baghdad, I finally realized that God was calling me to the priesthood. The Protestant chaplain had his Hummer loaded up to go to a camp about 15 miles away in order to celebrate the Easter service for a unit of about 400 Marines. He told me that a Catholic priest had not been able to make it to that unit, so he asked if I would take the Blessed Sacrament and lead a Communion service. As we pulled up, there were two groups forming, about 50 Protestants and 150 Catholics.

They wanted a priest and sadly, we could not provide one, even on Easter Sunday.

We prayed together and I distributed the precious Body of Christ. As we left, about ten of the Marines came up to me asking me to bless rosaries, St. Michael medals, and other religious items. I explained that I could not, since I was not a priest; so we prayed together and asked our Lord to continue to protect them in these

ANDREW YOUNG TAKES TIME OUT FOR PRAYER

difficult times. God showed me why we needed priests – to serve the people of God and to lead them to Him. At this moment, it was clear that through my journey of life, God had constantly been calling me, forming me to be one of His ministers at the altar.

My “yes” finally came a year after I finished my six years of active duty with the Marines.

I entered the seminary through my home diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and traveled to Holy Apostles Seminary in Connecticut for two years of pre-theology. I am now a second year theologian here at the Pontifical North American College. (continued on page 29)

Celebrating the Eucharist with the Troops

By ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO

Church in Manama. The Carmelite Fathers serve some 60,000 people, most of whom are foreigners.

The long flight back to Washington was without incident or delay, despite the additional controls and safety checks invented after the Christmas attempt on the flight over Detroit. I was on time for Mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord on January 3rd at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is the second year that I have been invited to preside and preach at that Mass.

(continued from page 5)

This year there was no break after the Christmas travels. Mail was piled high on my desk and many matters clamored for attention. Nevertheless, I was grateful to Almighty God for once again allowing me to spend the Christmas holidays with the faithful men and women who serve our country far from home.

An important aspect of the tradition of this archdiocese and the Military Vicariate that went before has been spending the Christmas holidays with those deployed. The distances are daunting, but the time with these dedicated people is priceless. ✞ s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

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By MONSIGNOR FRANK A. PUGLIESE

AMS Convocation 2009-2010 L: MONSIGNOR JAMES MORONEY R: FATHER RICHARD CURRY

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ach year, a diocesan bishop will call his priests together for prayer, ongoing formation, study, and an opportunity for fraternity. In this worldwide Archdiocese for the Military Services, this convocation is repeated five times so that all of our priests can attend no matter where they are assigned. They are held in Washington, DC, San Antonio, TX, San Diego, CA, Honolulu, HI and Rome, Italy.

ilitary chaplains are both pastors and military officers. The military services provide ongoing training for them as career officers. The Archdiocese provides the ongoing training and study for them to grow as effective priests. One of this year’s topics at our annual convocation was a concern of both the priest and the military officer, namely, Post Traumatic Stress. Before service members deploys to any combat area and are put in harm’s way, they and their families are shown what to expect, what to look for and how to seek help to avoid Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This training is continued during and after the deployment. The hope is that, while everyone will experience Post Traumatic Stress, no one will experience the disorder.

The speaker at our Archdiocesan convoca-

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tion this year was Father Richard Curry, SJ. He is the founder and artistic director of the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped and the founder of the Writers’ Program for Wounded Warriors. He has helped many of our veterans write their dramatic monologues in order to tell their stories and begin the healing process.

He was speaking to priests who are called on help our service members survive combat emotionally and spiritually, and who themselves are in the stressful atmosphere of constant danger. Father Curry addressed both of these missions – helping others while taking care of themselves.

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his was the second year of his series.

Last year, he introduced the importance of the Sacrament of Penance as a time for reflection, forgiveness

“This was the second year of his series. Last year, he introduced the importance of the Sacrament of Penance as a time for reflection, forgiveness and healing.”

and healing. It was so well received last year, that a Penance Service and the opportunity for confession has become part of the schedule for all convocations. Archbishop Broglio told the story of his visit to the Bishop of Guantanamo when he went to visit the Catholic priests stationed at Guantanamo. From his residence, the bishop can see the base, but, because of the political situation, he cannot go there, nor can the priest – or anyone assigned to Guantanamo Bay – go outside the walls. The bishop asked how many priests were at Guantanamo. Right now, there are two, but normally, there is only one.

Then, the bishop asked, “How does he go to confession.” Isn’t that a good question?

priests that they are first and foremost Catholic priests whose spirituality is based on the Eucharist, celebrated faithfully and well. Monsignor Moroney has been deeply involved in the process of this translation for many years, and is hailed as an expert in both the process and the translation. Now that the U.S. bishops have approved the translation and it has been sent to Rome awaiting final approval and implementation, priests need to be trained so they can pass ur second speaker at this year’s on their insights to our people before the new convocation was Monsignor James Roman Missal is used in the United States.

Moroney. He is a priest of the hen all the convocations are diocese of Worcester, and is the over, the question is, “Was it rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Worcester. worth it?” Was this time worth Since completing graduate studies at the the expense both to the ArchPontifical Institute of Liturgy at San Anselmo, he has devoted his life to the study and teach- diocese and to the many priest-chaplains who ing of liturgy. Currently, he is on the faculty of attended? Was it worth the time that these priests St. John’s seminary in Boston and has spoken were pulled away from their people for a time of to upwards of 17,000 priests and deacons at the prayer and study.” When we asked the priests invitation of close to a hundred bishops. who came those questions, they overwhelmingly His topic at our convocation was the “Art of said, “Yes, absolutely. One said, “I needed the Celebrating Liturgy” and the coming revision time away to be refreshed and re-tooled so I can of the Roman Missal in English. With humor go back and serve my people more effectively. and wit, Monsignor Moroney reminded our Thank you for calling us together.” ✞

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Life is a Journey

By ANDREW YOUNG – DIOCESE OF SIOUX FALLS

(continued from page 27)

Life is indeed a journey – and you never know where it might end, especially if you follow your heart and abandon yourself to the will of God. My story is just one of many that could be told by the seminarians here at the College. God has worked in many different ways in all our lives. We all came to answer that call in our own way and through our diverse experiences. Despite our differences, the men here at the College have one thing in common – we all love Christ and want to serve Him — Reprinted with permission for the North American College. by offering our lives in His service.” ✞ s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

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From the Chancellor (Continued from page 8) executive of a utility company was nearing ordination as a permanent deacon. Just prior to his ordination his CEO walked into his office and demanded that he sign a statement immediately or be fired. To paraphrase the statement, in essence it said, “I agree that I will not let my Christian values get in the way of making sound business decisions.” What an incredible statement! I used that incident for over a decade to give a talk to graduating business seniors at my college alma mater as an example of what they will encounter in the business world and I expressed my belief that you cannot separate the two. Sound business decisions are a result of bringing your Christian values to work! It was refreshing to hear the General reaffirm that belief in his talk and I was delighted as he shared with all of us how it is his faith that sustains him and guides him when he has to make tough decisions. At the end of his talk all I could think about was how grateful I am that my son and daughter-in-law have leaders like him in charge.

I hope that all of you pray for and encourage priestly vocations and even encourage a priest that you know to consider a chaplaincy in the military.

The need is great in all of the branches.

Not too long ago a chaplain called searching for suggestions on how to help a young pregnant officer and her husband. They had just discovered that their baby had no heartbeat. Unbeknownst to him, twenty-six years ago my wife and I found ourselves in a similar situation. The chaplain and I spent almost an hour on the phone and when I hung up I realized that God put me in this job for a reason.

I have finally figured out what I want to do when I grow up. Good thing too; the aches and pains that I feel every morning when I wake up are telling me I’m not young anymore. It is indeed an honor for me to serve you and Him. God bless! ✞

THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES WISHES TO EXTEND A HEARTFELT THANK YOU FOR THE GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE

SERRA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000 TO HELP FUND THE ARCHDIOCESAN

“STEP CLOSER RETREAT” (see article on page 10) FOR MILITARY SERVICEMEN CONSIDERING A PRIESTLY VOCATION.

WE ARE MOST APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE

ARCHDIOCESAN CO-SPONSORED SEMINARIAN PROGRAM.

THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES IS MOST APPRECIATIVE OF THE SUPPORT

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ (USCCB) SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE HOME MISSIONS. THIS YEAR’S MOST GENEROUS GIFT OF $125,000 WILL BE RECEIVED FROM THE

UTILIZED FOR OUR

CO-SPONSORED SEMINARIAN PROGRAM AS WELL AS ONGOING EVANGELIZATION EFFORTS THOUGHT OUT THE UNITED STATES AND OVERSEAS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THIS

30 s p r i n g |2 0 1 0 |

ARCHDIOCESE OVER THE YEARS.

Archdiocese for the Military Services

tour of duty brick campaign RESERVE YOUR BRICKS TODAY! TO SHOW YOUR MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO veterans, military members, their families, and chaplains.

Your commemorative brick will join the thousands of others in adding that “personal touch” to the pathways of our new chancery building in Washington, DC. Order your bricks online at: www.milarch.org or complete and return the form below.

Each paver includes 18 characters per line (space included) and up to 4 lines per brick.

FATHER TIMOTHY VAKOC REST IN PEACE 1 JANUARY 1960 – 20 JUNE 2009

FARMINGDALE, NY 11735

PERMIT NO 60

PAID

US POSTAGE

non-profit org.

[ Matthew 28:6 ]

“He is not here: for He is risen, as He said”

“Serving Those Who Serve”

P.O. Box 4469 Washington, DC 20017-0469

Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA