Taylor Henry

Catholic Chaplain in Illinois National Guard Praised for COVID-19 Service

BY TAYLOR HENRY PHOTOS COURTESY SPC BRIAN NEICE.

ACatholic chaplain in the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) has received a U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal for his role in the fight against COVID-19. Father Ryan L. McDaniel (Ch, Capt), ILNG, and his Religious Affairs Specialist, Specialist (SPC)Brian Neice, were commended earlier this year for their service to troops supporting multi-agency operations at a 330-thousandsquare-foot warehouse in Rochelle, IL, where the state stores emergency supplies related to the COVID-19 response and other Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) related resources.

In a 10 July email to senior Illinois National Guard chaplains and Father McDaniel’s military superiors, First Sergeant (1SG) Erik Royer (1644th Transportation Company), ILARNG, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of Team (TM) Rochelle, wrote he was “very impressed” with the duo because they “didn’t just show up, look around, ask some questions, and leave.”

“I have been in the service for 30 years,” 1SG Royer wrote, “and it is very rare to see the Chaplain mingle with the troops, play some games, and administer services in the workplace on a weekly basis. He (Father McDaniel) and a fellow chaplain conducted a forum at our hotel concerning the riots and how it was affecting individual Soldiers. They became a part of the team and established a trust with my Soldiers. I truly think that would not have been possible without the leg work that was done.”

1SG Royer concluded, “Sirs, the point to this email is to say that this is a great example of how it should be done…. Without that bonding you won’t reach nearly as many Soldiers nor have their trust.”

TM Rochelle is a joint operation involving both the Illinois Army and Air National Guard. Father McDaniel, who serves in the Air National Guard, was “humbled and honored” by the accolade. “As an Air Force Chaplain Corps,” he said, “our vision includes caring

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for Airmen better than anyone thinks possible. This is what we strive for. That this feedback comes not from an Airman but from a Soldier reflects the truly Joint nature of our integrated Army and Air response to the pandemic in the National Guard…. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve our nation’s finest during this nationwide emergency response mission.”

Father McDaniel is a priest of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, which, like other Eastern Catholic Churches, exists in communion with the Catholic Church. Father McDaniel, whose COVID-19 deployment stretched from on 18 May to 28 July, serves with AMS endorsement and faculties.

Catholic U.S. Military chaplains are legendary for going beyond the call of duty. Some of the most outstanding examples include Father Emil J. Kapaun, CH (CPT), USA, who died in 1951 in a North Korean Prisoner of War (POW) camp; Maryknoll Father Vincent R. Capodanno, CHC, LT, USN, killed in combat in 1967 in Vietnam; and Father Henry T. (Tim) Vakoc, CH (MAJ), USA, who died in 2009 from injuries suffered from a roadside bomb attack in Iraq. Since the Civil War, only five U.S. Military chaplains have received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration; all five were Catholic priests. Lesser known are the unsung Catholic priest-chaplains who go out of their way, day in and day out, to serve those who serve. Chaplains like Father Ryan L. McDaniel. V 44

Father Mark Rutherford, J.C.L., Mulls New Role as Judicial Vicar

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Father Rutherford: Two things come to mind immediately. One is the relationship with Jesus Christ. Because if a person has a relation with Jesus Christ, they care about what Jesus has to say about their marriage, their life, their future, and so Jesus becomes the center of the discernment process of “who am I supposed to marry?” Not just, “am I supposed to get married someday,” but “WHO am I supposed to marry?” We don’t want to treat the other person as an arbitrary decision of my own universe, but we want Jesus Christ to be the center of that decision. And so one thing that is a pattern in troubled marriages is a lack of attentiveness to the voice of Christ, calling me to the vocation of marriage to this particular person. You do not need God to fall in love. Pagan Bob and pagan Jenny can fall in love and get married, right? And Christ is not the center of that relationship. But if you want to know the mind of Christ for your future, then it behooves us to get to know Him, and the more we get to know Him, the more we get to know His voice, and the clearer His voice is when He says, “over here, over there, marry this person or that person.” The second pattern is going too fast. A lot of couples treat the preparation process as hoops to jump through instead of opportunities to allow the Lord to shape and prepare them for the rest of their lives together.

SALUTE: Do you have a military background? Father Rutherford: I personally do not. All three of my brothers served in the Navy. My mom was an Air Force “brat” growing up. And so we were surrounded by a culture of appreciation, love, and respect for our military men and women.

SALUTE: What are your hopes for your new position as Judicial Vicar? Father Rutherford: Just that we serve truth and justice with integrity without undue delay and with love. And in a way that honors the judicial authority of the Archbishop. V

Catechists Are Essential BY JOSE M. AMAYA, DIRECTOR OF FAITH FORMATION

Who would have thought that this catechetical year was going to be filled with opportunities to deliver the content of the Catholic faith to families in creative ways and to re-imagine faith formation in a time of pandemic! The great pause caused by COVID-19 provides lessons to consider when planning for the upcoming catechetical year in a new normal. These four points are offered for consideration: 1) the role of the catechist 2) re-discovering the domestic church 3) the priority of equipping and forming parents (adults) in the Catholic faith 4) embracing new methods of delivery.

In May 2020, the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership offered an event called Witness. This virtual event helped catechetical leaders recognize the role of the catechist (teacher of the faith) as essential to the mission of proclaiming Jesus Christ. Catechists are essential witnesses to the evangelizing and catechizing mission of the Church (Acts 1:8). In the 2013 virtual orientation to the AMS Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio exhorted teachers of the Catholic faith, to “never believe that you are just a catechist.” He continued to remark that “a catechist shares the message of life, a catechist opens the door of faith, and a catechist illumines the path to truth and life.” Therefore, “the role of the catechist is vital to the life of the Church.” 46

Shelter-in-place (SIP) has helped us to realize the importance and vitality of the domestic church for the edification of the Body of Christ. The homes of families have become households of prayer and worship. Many Catholic families have built a prayer altar to enthrone the Word of God, to pray the Holy Rosary, and share stories of faith as they participate in live-stream Sunday Mass. As Father Patrick Payton famously claimed “the family that prays together stays together.” Catechists rooted in their faith with an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ are needed to animate and accompany families.

The re-discovery of the domestic church pivots a renewed commitment to prioritize the faith formation of adults. Do you hear Jesus’ command “give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37). In the words of Saint John Paul II, “evangelization cannot be new in its content since its very theme is always the one gospel given in Jesus Christ. Evangelization can be new in its ardor, methods, and expression. It must be adapted to the people of our day.” If the claim that “parents are the primary educators in the faith of their children” is true, then it is necessary to seize this moment. We are strengthening the course of faith formation by investing with renewed enthusiasm; availing the digital opportunities to propose Jesus Christ and the beauty of the Church to parents and all adults. Imagine what catechesis would look like if catechists were trained to form parents in the Catholic faith. In the mode of apprentices, parents need to learn how use the Bible and pray the Scriptures using the method of Lectio Divina. Parents need to learn how to pray the Holy Rosary with their children and tell the stories of the saints as models and witnesses who, imitated Christ. Catechists are needed to equip parents with the skills and knowledge of the faith to be able to share that gift of faith with their children.

Finally, the U.S. Bishops state that “in order for the Church to be faithful to her mission, the Church should employ all modern means of communication technology as effectively as possible to bring others to Christ” (National Directory for Catechesis, p. 26). The time of pandemic forced religious education initiatives to realize that the content of the Catholic faith does not change but the method of delivery can change. The Catholic prayers and the truths of the Catholic faith can be shared through new and creative methods. Catechists must be equipped and trained to activate the mission of the Church to proclaim Jesus Christ to all with renewed enthusiasm and ardor through new methods and methodologies (Matthew 28:19-20). Catechetical leaders and catechists must embrace with courage and confidence the opportunities afforded by the new normal. V Fall 2020 | 47