Catholic Military Life

Check out the latest edition of our podcast, Catholic Military Life. Father Joseph L. Coffey of Philadelphia, 58, pictured, has come a long way since he sold cars as a young man in Europe. On Jan. 22, 2019, Pope Francis named Father Coffee, a U.S. Navy Chaplain and Captain (Select), a new auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS). Bishop-Elect Coffey will be ordained on March 25 in a 2:00 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, he joins us by telephone from the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, retracing his incredible journey toward priesthood, the military chaplaincy, and episcopal ordination, and he explains how he'll serve as an auxiliary to Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio while still serving in the Navy.

One-point-three million men and women are now serving in the U.S. Military. The vast majority of them are young adults, and one in four is Catholic. How do Catholic young adult ministers reach so many of the faithful spread all over the world and on constant move between duty stations? It's up to Ms. Casey Bustamante, USAFR, Associate Director for Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS). In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Ms. Bustamante shares how she tackles an enormous challenge.

With so many secularistic influences now competing for the hearts and minds of the young, rare indeed is the young man who hears God's call to both the Catholic priesthood and military chaplaincy. How does one discern a vocation amid so many worldly distractions? Mr. Steven Booth, a Co-Sponsored seminarian for both the Diocese of Fall River, MA, and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS), is in the final 18 months of his five-year formation. He hopes to serve on active duty as a U.S. Navy chaplain. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only offical podcast of the AMS, Steven shares how he realized Christ was calling him to serve those who serve, and what his life is like on the journey to ordination.

How does a guy go from being a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot, combat veteran, real estate investor, and eligible bachelor to a Catholic priest and Navy chaplain? Father Bill Appel, CHC, LT, USN, explains in this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

When Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida's panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, Tyndall Air Force Base suffered catastrophic damage. Tyndall is home to the 325th Fighter Wing--the "Checkertails"--and 55 F-22 "Raptor" jets, considered the world's most advanced fighter, most of which were flown to safety before Michael made landfall. The category 4 storm battered the 29-thousand acre base with top sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, leaving runways cluttered, hangars gnarled, bunkers battered, and, according an Air Force aerial assessment, nearly all of Tyndall’s 1,340 buildings, severely damaged. The base chapel lost its roof and will have to be demolished and rebuilt, says Father Longin Buhake, a civilian priest employed by the federal government to serve Tyndall’s Catholic population. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS), Father Buhake, who serves with AMS endorsement, tells of the long road to recovery. He shares what

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS), has officially kicked off its 2019 National Collection campaign. The collection, to be taken up in Catholic parishes throughout the United States at weekend Masses Nov. 9-10, 2019, will support pastoral care and ministry to Catholic families stationed worldwide in the U.S. Military, and Catholic patients in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers throughout the country and in Guam and Puerto Rico. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Ms. Mary Lavin, Executive Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, shares how private support is critical to the Archdiocese's mission, "Serving Those Who Serve," and how you can help.

The United States Air Force, like all other branches of the U.S. Military, is facing a desperate shortage of Catholic priests on active duty. Right now, only 55 priests are on active duty in the Air Force, serving a population of more than 78,000 Catholic airmen. That's one priest for every 1,425 airmen, not counting their families, and those Catholics are spread all over the United States and at bases overseas. It is the challenging task of Father Thomas S. Foley, Ch Capt USAF, to help make up the difference. Father Foley is an Air Force chaplain recruiter who travels the nation in search of qualified chaplain candidates to join the Air Force. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, he talks about the many difficulties and rewards of his work, and how he keeps the faith against long odds.

November 11 is Veterans Day, and this year, it also marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. To commemorate the occasion, the Knights of Columbus (K of C) and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS), will hold a ceremony including the celebration of Holy Mass. The commemoration will take place on Nov. 11, 2018 at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, 3900 Harewood Road NE in Washington, D.C. The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. followed by Mass at 11:00 a.m. Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, the K of C's Supreme Chaplain, will be the principal celebrant. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Brolgio, Archbishop for the Military Services, will preach the homily. The start time for the Mass falls at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month--the same time in Paris that the armistice was signed by the allies and Germany ending "the war to end all wars" in 1918. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the

As a Catholic U.S. Navy chaplain recruiter, Father David A. Daigle, CHC, LCDR, USN, has his work cut out for him. The Navy, like other branches of the U.S. armed forces, is confronting a desperate shortage of Catholic priests on active duty. Currently, only a few dozen active-duty Catholic Navy chaplains serve not only the entire Navy, but also the Marines and the Coast Guard as well as the U.S. Naval Academy. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Daigle talks about his efforts to relieve the shortage. Although responsible for recruiting chaplains of all faiths, Father Daigle, a priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT, takes particular interest in finding Catholics called to Navy chaplaincy, and he shares some ideas about how military service can benefit not only the priests who serve, the Navy Chaplain Corps in general, and the faithful in uniform, but also any home diocese or religious community that releases a priest

In 2009, Ms. Ann Schmalstieg married a Marine in the Catholic Church. Her husband, Justin Schmalstieg, Gy Sgt, USMC, was killed in action in Afghanistan barely a year later, just a few months after his conversion to Catholicism. On Dec. 15, 2010, Sgt. Schmalstieg and his team were returning to base after a period of intense fighting. Following multiple attempts at crossing a canal and facing the imminent threat of ambush, Sgt. Schmalstieg lost his life clearing a crossing point when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off. His sacrifice saved the lives of fellow Marines who were with him that day, leaving Ms. Schmalstieg a grieving widow. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Ms. Schmalstieg, of Beaver Falls, PA, shares how she deals with her grief through art. Her work will be on exhibit from Oct 29 to Nov. 29 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The working title of t

The priesthood, and military chaplaincy, are both, in some ways, like a marriage: the challenge is to live out one's commitment, even when it's not fun or easy. That's been among the many insights Father Christopher Doering has gained in living out his priestly vocation, from his time in the seminary in the 1990s through his current assignment at Fort Rucker. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Servies, USA, (AMS), Father Doering shares some of the highs and lows of his experience answering God's call. Ordained in 1998 for the Archdiocese of Chicago, Father Doering entered the Army in 2010 and has since deployed twice to Afghanistan and served at various locations throughout the eastern and southeastern U.S. During that time, he's crossed a few deserts, both earthen and spiritual, only to find blessings and grace even in the most difficult of circumstances.

The process of becoming a Catholic U.S. Military chaplain is a spiritual journey that typically takes eight or more years to complete. Not only does the chaplain candidate spend five years in seminary. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS) requires him to spend three years in his home diocese doing pastoral work and gaining valuable experience as a priest before it will endorse him for active-duty chaplaincy. Father Mark Bristol, LT, USNR, who was ordained in 2016 for the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY, is currently in the third year of his civilian pastoral assignment at Saint Anastasia Catholic Church in Douglastown, Queens, New York. Father Bristol, who served in the Navy for five years before entering the seminary, hopes to go back on active duty next summer. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Bristol shares his thoughts on going back on active duty in the Navy, where currently, only 33 priests serve more than 80,000 Catholic sailors and their

The U.S. Marine Corps motto is "Semper Fidelis," which means "Always Faithful." But what does "faith" really mean to those who serve? Father CurtisS Dwyer, CHC, LT, USN, serves as a chaplain at Marine Corps Base Quantico. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Dwyer joins us by phone to share how he goes about his ministry to The Few. The Proud. The Marines. Father Dwyer also recounts how he discovered his priestly vocation, and the "vocation within a vocation" to volunteer as a Navy chaplain, and he shares some of his experiences since joining coming aboard, including a 10-month deployment to the Persian/Arabian Gulf during which he hopscotched between ships by helicopter to bring the sacraments to the faithful in uniform at sea.

In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Tyler Harris recounts how he first sensed a vocation to become a priest and a military chaplain way back in 2001 while he was climbing the enlisted ranks. But it took Tyler many years, including time spent serving as a chaplain's assistant in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and one false start in seminary, before he finally committed himself to God's call. Now, if all goes as planned, he will be "Father Harris" in 2020 and "Chaplain Harris" in 2023 following a period of pastoral service in his home Diocese of Monterey, Calif. Lt. Harris shares the struggles he encountered in discerning his vocation, the inspiring influence of his mentor, the late Bishop Richard Garcia of Monterey, and his first-hand experience, as a chaplain's assistant, of the effects of the Catholic chaplain shortage in the Air Force, where only 60 priests remain on active duty, serving 80,000 Catholic Airm

On Thursday, May 31, 2018, three former Anglican U.S. Military chaplains were ordained Catholic priests for the Personal Ordinariate for the Chair of St. Peter. The Ordinariate was erected by the Holy See in 2012 to provide a way for groups of former Anglicans to become Catholic, while retaining elements of their worship traditions and spiritual heritage. All three newly ordained Catholics will continue to serve as military chaplains, but with endorsement and faculties from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). One of the priests is Father Matthew Whitehead, CH (CPT), USA, now stationed at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Whitehead re-traces his spiritual journey, beginning when he was an Evangelical, through his ministry as an Anglican priest, and the process of discernment that ultimately led him to the Catholic priesthood. He reflects on some of the vast differences in teaching between Evangelica

Do Catholic women have a distinct role to play in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to U.S. Military installations, and if so, what is that role? In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Michelle Nash and Elizabeth Tomlin share how their vast and growing organization, the Military Council of Catholic Women (MCCW), provides unique support to their military parish communities. Ms. Nash, current MCCW president, joins us by phone from Huntsville, Alabama, and Ms. Tomlin, past president, from Washington, D.C. Both draw from their own personal experiences as military wives, moms, and witnesses to Christ to explain what makes MCCW membership and activity meaningful and relevant to the practice of the Catholic faith in military settings worldwide.

Recently ordained Catholic Father Joseph W. Reffner, CH (CPT), USA, began his spiritual journey as an Evangelical. He later became a priest in the Anglican Church, and on May 31, 2018, was ordained a Catholic priest for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. So how does a married man with five children find acceptance in a flock accustomed to single shepherds living out promises of celibacy? In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Reffner shares the story of his spiritual awakening, his newfound life as member of the Catholic clergy while continuing to provide pastoral service to those who serve in the U.S. Military, and his advice to non-Catholics thinking about becoming Catholic.

With Catholic priests on active duty in short supply, deacons have a role to play in serving those who serve. Deacon Joe Pak, a native of South Korea, is one of two deacons incardinated in the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the AMS, Deacon Pak recounts how he came to discern his vocation in response to a visit to South Korea by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services. Deacon Pak shares how he and fellow Deacon Roy Mellon contribute to providing pastoral care to Catholic U.S. Military families. He describes what it is like to live a life of faith in the shadow of a communist regime on a peninsula long divided by differences left unresolved from the 1950-53 Korean War, and how he believes Catholics can support current efforts to achieve a lasting peace.

Faced with a chronic shortage of Catholic priests to serve on active duty as chaplains in the U.S. Military, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), is looking for volunteers from dioceses across the country and abroad. In June, the AMS will host its fourth, all-expenses paid retreat for already-ordained priests discerning whether they are called to the "vocation within a vocation." In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official AMS podcast, Chancellor Father Colonel Robert R. Cannon, USAF (Ret.), shares how the retreat experience will give participating priests first-hand exposure to what it's like "Serving Those Who Serve."

The 2018 Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage for Non-Wounded, Wounded, Ill or Injured Military Personnel during the 60th Annual International Military Pilgrimage will take place May 15-22, 2018. The theme for the 60th PMI is Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). The pilgrimage, sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), and the Knights of Columbus, is the latest event in a long history of both organizations’ involvement in Lourdes and service to the military. In this edition ofcATHOLIC MILITARY LIFE, the only official podcast of the AMS, Col. ChuCK Gallinia, USMC (Ret.), explains how military personnel, their designated caregivers and volunteers will travel to the Marian shrine for a time of rest, prayer and healing. The retreat will consist of a number of spiritual events, including special Masses, Faith and Fellowship Sessions, a Marian Procession, Adoration and Blessing of the Sick, a visit to the baths at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, and an International Opening Ceremony and Candle