Bishop F. Richard Spencer

CHRISTMAS 2019 | 15 I t is always a joy and an honor for me to visit the Catholic Communities situated in the Evergreen State. “Evergreen” is the nickname ascribed to the State of Washington; and I visit the bases around the Puget Sound every October. I used to begin my visit with Everett Naval Station, Smokey Point Naval Support Activity, and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Unfortunately, the U.S. Navy is no longer assigning Catholic Chaplains to Navy Bases in the Northwest Region; and not one priest in the U.S.A., bid on the contract for these bases when the position for a Catholic contract priest was placed on the Federal Jobs website. Although the Catholic program for these three bases closed on 1 December 2018, I returned to the chapel on Whidbey Island on Columbus Day Weekend of 2019 to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for nine Candidates BISHOP BUCKON (FRONT CENTER), FATHER BERNAS (REAR CENTER), WITH SAILORS AND MARINES AT BANGOR CHAPEL

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that matriculated into the Confirmation Class in September, 2018. Although the Catholic program was closed for nearly 11 months, 130 former members of the Catholic community returned to the base chapel for the celebration of a Sunday Mass and the sacrament of Confirmation. During the reception that followed the Mass, many people expressed their disappointment with the closing of the Catholic program and their sadness caused by the dissolution of their close-knit community. They also expressed their hope that the Catholic program for these three Naval bases would one day be restored.

16 My next stop was Naval Base Kitsap (NBK). NBK is the third largest U.S. Navy installation in the United States. It is a conglomerate of Bremerton, Bangor, Jackson Park, and Keyport. CH CPT Anthony “Gigi” Bernas, USAR is the contract priest and he is situated in the Bangor chapel. Father Bernas is busy reorganizing the CCD program for his 73 students. Due to a lengthy suspension of the Religious Education program, there were no candidates for Confirmation. Despite formidable obstacles and challenges, Father Bernas and the Catholic community of NBK remain grounded in the faith, nurtured in God’s love, and looking to the future with hope. I celebrated three daily Masses, Tuesday through Thursday. All of the Masses were well attended by active-duty Service Members and their Families.

My final Evergreen stop was Joint Base Lewis – McChord (JBLM). Father Jason Hesseling (Madison) planned my visit and he included visits on Friday to Madigan Army Medical Center and the Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility in my itinerary. Father Joseph W. Reffner (Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter) drove me to Madigan where Father Alex Ramos met me at the door of the hospital; and within moments we were in the chapel celebrating Mass on the Feast Day of Saint Luke. We offered the prayer of the Mass for Health Care Professionals and also asked St. Luke, their patron, for his intercession. We next took lunch in the hospital’s cafeteria before going to visit the patients in their rooms

on various floors. All patients were receptive to having visitors, praying, and receiving Holy Communion. As Father Ramos rushed off in response to an emergency in one of the hospital’s wards, I was driven to the prison where I linked up with Ch Capt Pedro Jimenez Barros, USAFR. Father Pedro is contracted by the Army for Catholic-specific ministry at JBLM. This ministry includes a Mass every week for the grateful inmates in the chapel of the Correctional Facility. It was a joy to celebrate Mass with Father Pedro, inmates I met on previous visits, and new inmates. I spoke about the importance of having a vision, and

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L-R: FATHER RAMOS, FATHER VILLANUEVA, DEACON JEFF GREER, BISHOP BUCKON, FATHER JIMENEZ-BARROS, DEACON JOHN ELSHAW, AND FATHER HESSELING

told them that the vision that Jesus gave us, the Kingdom of God, is the vision that will give us light, life, and meaning. I exhorted them to hold on to this vision, and to live it!

On Saturday evening, I celebrated the anticipated Sunday Mass with Father Jason Hesseling and Father Thomas Kelly (Venice) at the chapel at McChord Airfield. After the Mass Father Kelley drove me to the home of LTC Gregory and Mrs. Elizabeth Tomlin for a clergy dinner. Mrs. Tomlin is the General Counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. The Catholic program at JBLM is very large and there were six priests and two permanent deacons with their spouses attending the dinner. The food was delectable and the company convivial.

On Sunday, during the noon Mass, I conferred the sacrament of Confirmation on 34 well-prepared and enthusiastic candidates at JBLM’s Main Post Chapel. This celebration was unique for me because I had served with the grandfather of one of the candidates.

In 1976, I was a rifle platoon leader in A Company, 1st Battalion 46th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The unit was located at Ferris Barracks, Erlangen, Germany. Don Meno was the Battalion’s Signal Officer at that time. He and his wife, Mary Beth, were in Erlangen with two young sons. Colonel Brandon Meno, one of the boys, is now commanding the 2nd Infantry Division DIVARTY (Division Artillery, a brigade headquarters). I confirmed his daughter, Taylor Elizabeth. To my knowledge, this is the first time that I conferred the sacrament of Confirmation upon one the grandchildren of those that I befriended while serving in the Army. Don, Mary Beth, and I enjoyed sharing our stories of the “Professionals’ of Ferris Barracks. Father Edgar Villanueva is a Brigade Chaplain for 2nd ID DIVARTY and he concelebrated the Mass!

Green is a liturgical color for the Latin Catholic Church. It is used during the Season of Ordinary Time. Green symbolizes hope, everlasting life, and fidelity. “Evergreen” may be the nickname for the State of

Washington, but it also describes the virtues and vision of the service members, their families, and the Catholic communities of the various Department of Defense Installations located on and around the Puget Sound. I cannot wait to return! V

BISHOP BUCKON, CENTER, AND THE MENO FAMILY. UPPER LEFT COL DON MENO, USA-RET: UPPER RIGHT COL BRANDON MENO, USA

CORRECTION TO FALL ISSUE OF SALUTE Page 23, first column: It should have been: Father John Gwudz, CAPT, USN(ret.) is contracted to assist in the Catholic ministry that takes place at the chapel (Weapons and Field Training Battalion at Edson Range). Page 23, 24, 25: correction to the spelling of Father’s name: Father John Gwudz