Catholic Military Life

Like all Catholic dioceses, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), staffs a Tribunal to adjudicate marriage annulment petitions and other matters of canon law. But unlike any other U.S. diocese, the AMS encompasses the entire world, serving those who serve in the U.S. Military wherever they are stationed or deployed. With a population of 1.8 million Catholics, the AMS has enormous responsibility, and its Tribunal stays busy. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the AMS, Judicial Vicar Father Christopher Armstrong, J.C.D., shares how the Tribunal goes about its work handling some of the most sensitive matters facing practicing Catholics in the U.S. Military.

Father Hermes Losbañes, CH (MAJ), USA, has his work cut out for him. He is a chaplain recruiter for the U.S. Army. Specifically, Father Losbañes recruits Catholic priests to serve on active duty. The Army is suffering a desperate shortage of Catholic chaplains. Right now, only 89 are serving some 115,000 Catholic active-duty soldiers. That's one priest for every 1,300 Catholic soldiers spread around the world, not counting their families. The shortage has been growing for decades due to attrition. Catholic Army chaplains are retiring faster than they can be replaced. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Losbañes shares how he is working diligently to fill the gap, and how you can help.

Priests endorsed by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), to serve as military chaplains are ""on loan," both to the Military Archdiocese and to the military itself. They come from home dioceses all over the country, and many of them undergo formation and are ordained through the "Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program," a vocations partnership between the AMS and their home dioceses or religious order. Before and after their military service, they serve as priests in their home dioceses. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, Father Gary Studniewski of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., shares his vocational journey, starting out as an officer in the U.S. Army through his priestly discernment, experience as a seminarian, and return to the Army as a chaplain. Father Studniewski, who recently retired from the Army, is now Administrator at St. Peter's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Father Larry Smith, S.J., entertains with stories from his twelve years on active duty as a U.S. Navy chaplain. He tells of counseling U.S. Marines as they headed into combat for Desert Storm, and what it was like aboard the first U.S. Navy warship to enter the Black Sea after the fall of the iron curtain. Father Smith, a gifted story-teller, now serves at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.

Living out a commitment to marriage while on active duty has its unique rewards and challenges. In order to support married Catholics in the U.S. Military, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), will hold its first-ever Catholic Marriage Enrichment Retreat in February 2018. AMS Vice Chancellor of Evangelization Dr. Mark Moitoza shares how the AMS hopes to make the retreat a twice-yearly event for Catholic servicemen and women. He also tells about some of the other ways in which the AMS Office of Evangelization is bringing pastoral services to those who serve. And he delves into a topic of immense timely importance to post-deployment warriors: the "bruise of the soul" known as moral injury, a condition in which they struggle with the idea that that they betrayed their own values while defending the cause of freedom.

Today, Catholics of all ages find themselves in a new era: a time of constant change and growing cultural diversity. In his Apostolic Exhortation the Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis tells us that we are to be a Church that “goes forth.” For this reason, the Bishops of United States are launching the initiative the V Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry under the theme “Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love." In this edition of Catholic Military, Mr. Jose Amaya, Director of Faith Formation for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), talks about what the AMS is doing for V Encuentro. How can the Archdiocese better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence in the U.S. Military? How will the AMS help strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos can respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples in service to the Church? How can Hispanic/Latino members of the Military participate in this exciting initiative? Mr. Amaya explains in this edition of Catholic Military Lif

In this special edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson of the Knights of Columbus joins us by telephone from his office at Supreme Headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut. Mr. Anderson is a 2017 recipient of the Medal of the Archdiocese, the AMS's highest award, in recognition of the outstanding contributions by the K of C to the Archdiocesan mission to serve those who serve The Medal of the AMS is presented no more than five times a year. For a candidate to qualify, two important elements determine the selection: (1) the candidate’s contributions to the AMS religious program must be outstanding, without recompense, over an extended period of time, and they must clearly surpass the contributions of all others; and (2) the candidate’s character, behavior, and reputation must be outstanding in all respects and motivated by religious values; moreover, the candidate must practice religion faithfully and

With tensions between the U.S. and North Korea at their highest point in decades, Father Brian Klingele, Ch, Capt, USAF, shares his experiences serving as a chaplain at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. How do the faithful in the U.S. Air Force deal spiritually with the possibility of another hot war on the Korean Peninsula? How does the believer in uniform stay focused and keep peace of mind while North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un spews his bellicose rhetoric? How does the renewed threat of a nuclear holocaust affect the practice of Catholic faith in the crosshairs of Kim's missiles? Father Klingele, who began a one-year tour of duty in South Korea several months ago, lives with these questions every day, both in his own spiritual life and in his ministry to U.S. Airmen and their families. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, a podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Klingele holds forth.

Seminarian and prospective U.S. Navy Chaplain Peter St. George talks about his experience of the Lord's call to be a priest and chaplain in service to those who serve. Peter walks us through the process of his own discernment, shaing some of his most personal struggles. How does a young man commit himself to a life of celibacy? How does he deal with loneliness and the prospect of a life without a wife and children? What is it about giving one's life to Christ that makes the sacrifices worthwhile? What is his advice to other young men considering following the same path? How can the faithful show their support for seminarians?

At 72, Father John (Frank) O'Grady, CH (LTC), USA, is one of the oldest chaplains--if not THE oldest--serving in the U.S. Military. During his long, productive military career, Father O'Grady, a native of Sligo, Ireland, has served everywhere from Korea to Germany. His exemplary ministry at the Pentagon in the days after the 9/11 attack earned him an Army Commendation Medal for his “leadership, dedication to duty and calm professional demeanor during a time of extreme crisis,” enabling him to “flawlessly perform” his duties. So effective has been his pastoral service to those who serve, Father O'Grady was called out of retirement to continue in the position he has held for the past seven years: clinical chaplain at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In that role, he has helped many servicemen and women wounded in battle find their way to physical, mental, and spiritual healing and recovery. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, Father O'Grady talks about his experiences on the hospital war

Reverend Mr. Jay Horning, a prospective U.S. Army chaplain and transitional deacon from the Diocese of Fort Wayne, IN, shares his story of how he converted to Catholicism and entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, to become a priest. Rev. Mr. Horning is scheduled to be ordained a priest in June.

Now that it's back-to-school season, Father Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O., talks about a huge increase in the number of young men entering the seminary to become Catholic priests and military chaplains. Among the several hundred prospective priests entering American seminaries for the first time this fall, at least seven plan, after ordination, to go on active duty as chaplains. Additionally, another four U.S. Catholic seminarians in various advanced stages of formation have decided this year to pursue military chaplaincy, and have made a commitment to “serve those who serve” as priests in the armed forces. That brings to 11 the total number of Catholic men embarking this year on the vocational journey toward military chaplaincy, bringing the total number in formation to 43--up from just seven in 2008.

Sept. 4 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Vietnam War hero and U.S. Navy Chaplain Father Vincent R. Capodanno, MM, Servant of God. Ever faithful to his vocation, Father Capodanno, a Maryknoll priest from Staten Island, N.Y., died in 1967 at the age of 38 while rushing to administer the sacraments to Marines under enemy ambush in Vietnam’s Quế Sơn Valley. Father Capodanno received the Medal of Honor posthumously on January 7, 1969. Since his death, there have been numerous reports of favors following intercessory prayers to the hero chaplain, and the Catholic Church is now considering his Cause for Sainthood. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, three prominent figures involved with support of Father Capodanno's Cause talk about his great sacrifice for the Marines under his pastoral care. They are Mr. George Phillips, a retired U.S. Marine who served with Father Capodanno and now chairs the Father Capodanno Guild; Father Commander Daniel Mode, a U.S. Navy Chaplain and author of "The Grunt Padre,

What is it like bringing the sacraments and the good news of Jesus Christ to men and women on the front lines of combat? Father Lieutenant Colonel Brian Kane, a U.S. Army chaplain in the Nebraska National Guard, shares his war experiences from Iraq's Anbar Province in 2005. And he recalls how things had changed in the war-torn country when he returned to Iraq for a second deployment in 2010. Father Kane considers the what if any effects secularization has had on the U.S. armed forces, and he reflects on the tension between preaching a gospel of peace in an active war zone. Father Kane serves in the military with endorsement and faculties from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

In this latest edition of Catholic Military Life--a podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA--Father Tom Hoar, S.S.E., talks about his vocation as a contract priest serving Catholic submariners at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. Enduring long stretches underwater in close quarters without an active duty chaplain to celebrate MasS, Catholic submariners face a constant test of their Catholic faith in the absence of regular access to the sacraments. For some, the temptation to find comfort in spiritually unhealthy vices can be overwhelming at times. Father Hoar shares how, in his decade of ministry to sailors, he has worked on helping some conquor addictions to gambling, the internet, and pornography. Father Hoar also recounts his experience conducting a retreat aboard a guided missible cruiser in the Pacific and a stint at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay.

Bishop Buckon, Archbishop Timothy Broglio's Episcopal Vicar for Military Installations in the Western United States, holds forth on a wide range of issues, from his experiences as a U.S. Army Chaplain in Iraq to the state of religious freedom in the Military.

In this latest edition of Catholic Military Life--a podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA--Retired U.S. Air Force Chaplin Father (Col.) Robert Bruno, OFM, tells how he worked with the Air Force from 2009 to 2014 to preserve the free exercise of religion at the Air Force Academy as secularists waged an all-out campaign to suppress religious freedom and eliminate the phrase "so help me God" from the cadet honor pledge. Thanks to a new program Father Bruno helped launch, the right to the freedom of religion is alive and well at the Air Force Academy!

In the latest edition of "Catholic Military Life"--a podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA--Pat Hayes tells the fascinating story of a Redemptorist Catholic priest who served on the confederate side during the American Civil War. Father James Sheeran, C.Ss.R., was chaplain to the 14th Louisiana Regiment of the Confederacy. With historic confederate monuments now coming down in New Orleans, the topic is particularly timely. Irish-born Sheeran (1817-1881) was one of only a few dozen Catholic chaplains commissioned for the Confederacy and one of only two who kept a journal. Mr. Hayes has now edited and published Father Sheeran's journal in a new volume, called "The Civil War Diary of Father James Sheeran." (Catholic University Press of America, 2016.) Highlighting his exploits from August 1, 1862 through April 24, 1865, the journal tells of all the major events of his life in abundant detail: on the field of major battles, in the hospitals, and among Catholics and Protestants whom he encount

From jumping out of airplanes to witnessing a resurgence of Catholic faith in Europe, Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer shares his experiences as both a former U.S. Army Chaplain and the Episcopal Vicar of Europe and Asia. Bishop Spencer describes his sense of closeness to heaven while in midair free fall, his encounters with roadside bombs in Iraq, and contrary to reports of Europeans abandoning the Catholic faith in waves of secularism, his witness to a return to the church by many, particularly since the pontificate of Pope Francis. Bishop Spencer shares insights from a chapter he wrote for a new book called "Prayer in the Catholic Tradition" edited by Robert J. Wicks(Franciscan Media, 2016). The chapter, entitled "Military Postures in Prayer: Moments of Spiritual Intimacy," explores specific ways of praying in the context of Catholic Military Life.

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, chats about a wide range of issues confronting Catholics in the Military, including their freedom to exercise their faith, religious education, the priest shortage, and his reflections on nine (9) years at the helm of the only Catholic archdiocese responsible for the pastoral care of those who serve our nation in uniform, veterans in the nation's VA Medical Centers, and civilians serving the U.S. Government beyond U.S. borders.