Catholic Military Life

Jesus Christ tells us in John 15:13 that "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." In World War Two, Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur (1912-1944) of Ville Platte, LA, a chaplain lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, lived out the meaning of that message. He died on a Japanese prisoner-of-war transport ship mistakenly torpedoed by a U.S. submarine off the coast of the Philippines, ignoring his own safety to aid wounded fellow American POWs, give absolution to the dying, and help those he could escape through an open hatch to freedom, even as their captors opened fire. On Sept. 5, 2020, Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of Lafayette officially opened Father Lafleur's Cause for Canonization. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Mark Ledoux, the Episcopal Delegate for the Cause, shares the chaplain hero's remarkable story and how Father Lafleur, who posthumously received a Purple Heart, a Bronze St

The Annual Pilgrimage for the Sea Services will be celebrated on Oct. 4, 2020, at 3:30 p.m. EDT at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 339 South Seton Avenue, in Emmitsburg, MD. The principal celebrant and homilist will be the Most Reverend Joseph L. Coffey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Bishop Coffey is a retired U.S. Navy chaplain. Because of social distancing restrictions imposed by state and local officials over the COVID-19 pandemic, on-site participation will be limited to no more than two-hundred. However, the 3:30 p.m. Mass will be live-streamed to the public on the Seton Shrine’s website at https://setonshrine.org/annual-sea-services-pilgrimage/. A recorded edition will be accessible on the site after the event. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Retired Admiral William J. Fallon, Chairman of the Sponsoring Committee, talks about the unusual plans for this year's pilg

When he finished law school at Pepperdine University and passed the bar exam, Bradley D. Easterbrooks embarked on a career in the U.S. Navy as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. But God had other plans for the active-duty lieutenant. When Bradley discerned a priestly vocation, he put his military legal career on hold and entered seminary. He is now completing formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Upon ordination, Bradley, 35, plans to go back on active duty as a U.S. Navy chaplain. He has his work cut out for him. Due to a nationwide shortage of priests, the Navy currently has only 48 active-duty Catholic chaplains, serving more than 135,000 Catholics not only in the Navy but also the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and their families. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Bradley retraces his journey to priesthood and shares how he hopes to help relieve the Catholic chaplain shortage and

Korean War hero and U.S. Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun died on May 23, 1951, in a North Korean Prisoner of War (POW) camp. He had spent the previous six months risking his life to sustain and save the lives of fellow prisoners with no concern for his own health and safety. In 2013, then-President Obama postumously awarded Father Kaupan the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. The Holy See's Congregation for the Causes of Saints is now considering Father Kaupan's Cause for Canonization. Father John Hotze, a priest of Father Kapaun's home Dioecese of Wichita, Kansas, is the Episcopal Delgate for the Cause. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Hotze joins us by telephone from Mulvane, Kansas, to bring us up to date on the progress of Father Kaupan's Cause.

On July 16, 2020, Father Mark Rutherford, J.C.L., a priest of the Diocese of Lansing, MI, took office as Judicial Vicar of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). In that role, Father Rutherford will oversee the archdiocesan Tribunal, which, among other judicial functions, rules on the validity or nonvalidty of marriages based on canon law. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Rutherford shares thoughts on his new role and how he hopes to serve those who serve, and he he notes in passing two of the most common signs of a troubled Catholic marriage.

Like nearly all U.S. educators, Catholic catechists in the U.S. Military have had to unleash creativity this year in their ministry of teaching the Catholic faith to children and young people from grades Pre-K through 12. Taking advantage of shelter-in-place orders due to COVID-19, Mr. Jose Amaya, Director of Faith Formation for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), is holding a series of webinars for clergy and lay catechetical leaders. Each webinar in the series, called "Be My Witnesses Mission 2020," deals with an aspect of the AMS vision for catechesis as outlined in the AMS Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization: Archdiocesan Religion Curriculum Guide and supported by the AMS Family Faith Assessment, catechist training and certification, and leadership development. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Mr. Amaya is joined by AMS catechetical leaders Jennifer Koepl at Fort Gordon, Roger Olaes at Travis Air Force Base, and Patti Ramos at Fort

Father Piotr Koziolkiewicz, CH (CPT), USA, finds balance between the physical and the spiritual. While not hearing confessions, administering other sacraments, or celebrating Mass for Catholics of the 589th Brigade Support Battalion at Grafenwöhr, Germany, he runs and bikes incredible distances. He stays active not only to stay in shape but also to serve as an example to the soldiers and their families in his flock. Recently, upon turning 40, Father Koziolkiewicz took a couple of long bike rides across Germany, each in excess of 300 miles. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Koziolkiewicz joins us by phone from Grafenwöhr to share his adventures on two wheels, and how they relate to his priestly calling serving those who serve.

In the Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, Pope Francis calls on the Church to consider refreshing the ways she can accompany young people. Accordingly, the Evangelization Office of the Archdiocese for the Military Services will hold a Young Adult Ministry Symposium Aug. 6-9 in Silver Spring, MD, just outside the nation's capital. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese, organizers Katie Taylor and Casey Bustamante Lee share plans for the symposium, and how Catholic young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 who serve in the U.S. Military can make plans to participate.

From the COVID-19 pandemic to the spread of racial tensions over alleged police brutality, the year 2020 so far has brought a trove of troubles. But amid all the uncertainty and social disruption, Catholics serving in the U.S. Military have reasons to celebrate. A record eighteen young men are being ordained this year in hopes of becoming military chaplains, offering hope for relief to a chronic shortage of priests serving on active duty. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Vocations Director Father Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O., reflects on this banner year for AMS ordinations and what it could mean for the practice of Catholic faith in the U.S. Military.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Military Catholics have cause for celebration this year. Seventeen young men who are on track to become military chaplains will be ordained. That’s the largest class of chaplain candidates in recent memory. Eight will be ordained priests and nine, transitional deacons in preparation for priestly ordination next year. The bumper harvest promises some relief to a desperate shortage of priests on active duty. The Reverend Mr. Daniel Duplantis, 2d Lt, USAFR, a prospective Air Force chaplain, will be ordained a priest on June 6 in New Orleans. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), the soon-to-be Father Duplantis shares how he discerned a vocation, the ways he hopes to provide pastoral care for Airmen and their families, and what life is like in his final year of formation at Notre Dame Seminary in “the city that care forgot.”

New York's veteran population, situated at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in America, has been hit hard since the outbreak in early March. Father Andrew Sioleti knows first-hand. As Chief of Chaplains at the VA's New York Harbor Healthcare Sytem, Father Sioleti has had his hands full, anointing the sick, hearing confessions, and bringing Holy Communion as well as counseling, and support to afflicted veterans and civilians alike, their families, and health care workers, all the while overseeing a staff of nearly a dozen chaplains serving the system's medical centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a community living center in Queens. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Servies, USA (AMS), Father Sioleti, who serves with AMS faculties and endorsement, shares his experiences caring for the ill, their loved ones, and doctors and nurses on the front lines, and his vision of hope amidst so much chaos and suffering, physical and spiritual.

Catholic chaplains in the nation's VA medical centers are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Since the disease claimed the life of its first VA patient in mid-March, the death toll has climbed sharply. As of Easter Monday, April 13, more than 240 VA patients and several VA health care workers across the country have died of the disease. In New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic, the James J. Peters Medical Center has been overrun with COVID-19 patients, and dozens there have died over the past few weeks. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Tony K. Mensah, the hospital's chief chaplain, shares how he and fellow chaplains are coping as they provide spiritual care to the patients, their families, and the doctors and nurses taking care of the sick.

The military lifestyle, with its unique culture, frequent deployments and permanent changes of station (PCS), triggers ongoing stress for those who serve and their families. All too often, that stress leads to alcohol and drug addiction among military personnel, particularly after they are discharged or retire and no longer subject to zero-tolerance policies and random testing. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Dr. Heather C. Robertson joins us by phone from New York, where she is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at St. John's University. Having researched the problem of addiction in the military, Dr. Robertson shares her findings and where to find help for those in need.

The U.S. Military is on the frontlines of America's war with what is now its worst enemy--the coronavirus and the potentially deadly disease it can cause, COVID-19. The Defense Department is providing millions of N95 respirator masks and more than a dozen testing labs, Army scientists are hard at work on developing a vaccine, the Navy is preparing hospital ships for New York and California, the Air Force has evacuated U.S. citizens stranded on foreign soil, and the National Guard has been deployed in states around the country. And with the military stationed around the world in hard-hit countries such as Italy, Spain, and South Korea, and states including Washington, New York, California and Louisiana, military personnel are at least as susceptible as anyone to infection. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, we learn more about this "invisible enemy" from Rear Admiral Dr. Joyce Johnson, USN (Ret.), a physician and infectious di

Suicide among U.S. Veterans is a persistent problem that continues to vex VA health professionals and chaplains alike. According to the latest figures, at least 60,000 veterans died by suicide between 2008 and 2017. That's nearly ten times the number of American military personnel killed since 9/11 in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, and even more than the total number killed throughout the entire Vietnam War. And the data show the problem is only getting worse, as vets cope with the psychological and spiritual repercussions of combat. Those include conditions ranging from posttraumatic stress to depression, addiction, divorce, and moral injury. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Alejandro J. DeJesus, a chaplain at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Medical Center in San Antonio, joins us by phone from Texas to discuss this alarming trend, what he and other Catholic VA chaplains are doing, and how you can help i

Linda & Steve Jaramillo by Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Since 1997, Catholic radio in the United States has grown from just seven stations to more than 500, becoming a powerful and effective voice for the Church. Catholic radio stations broadcast the New Evangelization to millions throughout the nation and beyond U.S. borders, and they consistently receive conversion stories and testimonies on the power of Catholic radio to teach the faith and draw listeners ever closer to Christ. Among those listeners are both civilian and military populations. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (www.milarch.org), retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Tom McNew, a 27-year-veteran, shares how he started Armor of God Radio--KOOV FM 106.9--in Kempner, TX, serving more than 50,000 Catholics based at Fort Hood. Listen to Armor of God radio, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at armorofgodradio.com.

Are you interested in connecting with other women who share your Catholic faith, interests, and everyday concerns? If so, go online and order the new book, Joyful Momentum, by Elizabeth A. Tomlin. In the paperback, just published by Ave Maria Press, Ms. Tomlin shows you how you can start, expand, strengthen, or retool an existing women’s group or ministry in your own Catholic parish. Whether you want to start a spiritual book club or a group for moms with young children, retool an existing ministry for moms who work outside their homes, or revitalize a languishing prayer group or committee, you may feel underqualified and overwhelmed when first facing the challenges. Joyful Momentum provides the tools you need to get started, including “Momentum Builders” that will give you the confidence to do what needs to be done. Ms. Tomlin has plenty of experience to draw on. A military wife and mother of three, she is General Counsel to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and past president of the Military

The Fifth Commandment tells us, "thou shalt not kill." Yet, killing is integral to warfare. How, then, can war be justified? Philosphers have grappled with that question for centuries. Saint Augustine, a Fourth Century Catholic thinker, developed a theory of "just war" that remains influential in the postmodern era. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Catholic University of America Theology Professor Dr. Joseph Cipazzo, Ph.D., explores Saint Augustine's "just war" theory, and how it applies to current-day conflicts.

Military chaplains often accompany the men and women they serve into the worst of circumstances. Father Eric Albertson, CH (COL), USA, knows all too well. On Nov. 11, 2004--Veterans Day--Father Albertson was accompanying fellow soldiers across Iraq's western desert in Al Anbar Province when their Humvee hit a roadside bomb. Father Albertson was knocked out and suffered a severe concussion. He recovered and went on to receive the Purple Heart for his injuries in combat. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Albertson, a U.S. Army chaplain for more than 26 years, shares his story, and he explains why it is so important for military chaplains, though unarmed, to go in harm's way.