Opening Soon? Always a People of Hope

There is a sense of anticipation in the air.

Gradually restrictions are easing, but uncertainty is still very evident. My pastoral planning and activities continue to be determined by what military and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ authorities will permit. It is important, however, to keep asking the question and to make every attempt to attend to the legitimate aspirations of the faithful entrusted to my pastoral care. My Auxiliary Bishops make the same attempts to offer pastoral care for the people of this global archdiocese. One innovation has been to celebrate some confirmations for the Washington Military District here at the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center. It is possible to accommodate smaller groups, ensure social distancing, and provide

Opening soon?

Always a People of Hope!

BY ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO (CENTER) BLESSING THE HOLY OILS DURING THE CHRISM MASS, 23 MARCH 2021, IN THE CRYPT CHURCH OF THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.

a worthy celebration for the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, it has also been possible to visit and celebrate confirmation at Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall, Quantico, and Fort Belvoir. At the last-mentioned installation, social distancing dictated two confirmation Masses in one evening. The Academies also opened their doors this year. West Point welcomed me for confirmation and a Sunday Mass in February and Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Annapolis opened its doors for confessions, the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday Mass, and more confirmations are scheduled in June. The Coast Guard Academy had me celebrate a Sunday Mass right after Easter, and the Air Force Academy had baptisms and confirmations on the first Sunday of May. In addition, I made brief visits to Fort Carson, Peterson Air

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Force Base, and confirmed those of the 10th Air Base Wing (Community Center of the Air Force Academy) at Peterson, as well. I believed the meteorologists and canceled my brief visit to F.E. Warren Air Force Base. As it turned out, it would have been possible to visit there and arrive at Colorado Springs before the snowfall. Always beware of those who predict mounds of snow. It is not an exact science! It was a pleasure to fill in for Bishop Michael Fisher, who before his transfer to Buffalo was due to ordain eight men to the diaconate in March. The splendid celebration was held in the beautiful chapel of the Dominican House of Studies. A Dominican whom I had ordained

L-R: ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO, PETER ST. GEORGE AND BISHOP MICHAEL BURBIDGE AFTER THE DIACONAL ORDINATION 10 APRIL 2021

a priest served as the Master of Ceremonies. I went from that celebration to the airport in order to fly to Columbia, South Carolina, for a very brief visit to Fort Jackson and the priests who were in Chaplain School there. Fathers John Gabriel and Pawel Zemczak coordinated all of the details, including ordering a take-out dinner because the student priests were not allowed to leave the installation. It had been some time since my last visit there, and it was a pleasure to celebrate Mass with a group of trainees and then with the regular chapel community. The AMS was back at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a rather intimate Chrism Mass in the crypt church. At that point, the mayor of Washington only permitted 250 people in the building at the same time! The pandemic did force the Archdiocese to look for a way to gather our catechists and others for a moment of prayer and

NEWLY ORDAINED FATHERS MICHAEL KAPOLKA (LEFT) AND EDWARD HOFFMANN (RIGHT) WITH ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY

BROGLIO (CENTER) IN CINCINNATI, OH, ON 15 MAY 2021.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH.

reflection during the holy Season of Lent. The Evangelization Office prepared two opportunities for the day of recollection, which was livestreamed from the pastoral center. I was grateful for this chance to reach out virtually to a portion of the flock. It is probably something that can be continued. Even after the pandemic, the AMS will still be a global reality with little opportunity to convoke her faithful. continued on page 8

L-R: MONSIGNOR JOHN R. MCLAUGHLIN, JR., (FORMER VOCATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE AMS) FATHER STEPHEN B. ROCK, CHC, CAPT, USN (RET.), FATHER DAVID A. CAMPO LTJG, USN, A PROSPECTIVE UNITED STATES NAVY CHAPLAIN, ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO, FATHER WILLIAM D. DEVINE, CHC, CAPT, USN (RET.), AND FATHER STEPHEN J. LINEHAN, CHC, CAPT, USN (RET.), ON 22 MAY 2021, IN BOSTON, MA. PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE MARTELL - ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON

The MCCW Eastern Region prepared its virtual retreat for the weekend after Easter, but I was invited to celebrate and record the Sunday Mass at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on Easter Tuesday (6 April). It was my first visit to the beautiful shrine, and I was very grateful for the opportunity to tour the facility, spend some time with the Provincial Superior of the Marians, and with AMS co-sponsored Deacon Brother Matthew Tomeny. The shrine is not far from Hartford, and so I stayed with my good friend, the Archbishop of Hartford, and enjoyed the scenic drive to and from the shrine. The time in New England provided a few days of respite after the rigors of Holy Week. International travel returned for me. Given the restrictions

imposed by Germany, where Bishop Muhm has his base of operations, I volunteered to make a brief pastoral visit to two installations in Spain: Rota (Navy) and Morón (Air Force). Transatlantic air travel is very different and spending hours in a mask gives me new sympathy for doctors, health care professionals, and bandits! However, the voyage was smooth, and the welcome was extraordinarily cordial. Father Tomek Maka (Detroit) made certain that confirmation and Sunday Mass went well and the Catholic Women of the Chapel provided an abundance of Spanish goodies. My last visit to Rota was in 2009 at the end of a forty-day trip that began in Kuwait on the vigil of my arrival in Baghdad. The Spanish contract priest at Morón, Father Pedro Sola, also ensured a memorable visit which included two remarkable luncheons. Both the Spanish and the US Commanders spent a great deal of

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L-R: BISHOP JOE S. VÁSQUEZ, NEWLY ORDAINED PRIESTS FATHER ENRIQUE SADA-COETO AND FATHER CALLAN SWEENEY, 1LT, USA, A PROSPECTIVE UNITED STATES ARMY CHAPLAIN, AND ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO IN AUSTIN, TX, ON 5 JUNE 2021. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF AUSTIN.

time with me, and it was a privilege to give one of the latter’s daughters her first Holy Communion. As usual, spring occasions the renewal of nature and the ordination season for the Church. The Auxiliary Bishops and I share the opportunities to participate in the ordinations of the co-sponsored seminarians. The diaconate ordinations of Peter St. George (Arlington) and Liam O’Shea Creal (Lincoln) and the priestly ordinations of Fathers Edward Hoffmann, Michael Kapolka (Cincinnati), David Campo (Boston), Callan Sweeney (Austin), and Patrick Costello (Green Bay) fell to me, but fortunately, there are more to come. It is such a privilege to know these fine young men and to experience the joy of the local Church as new ministers are ordained to serve the people. Even in the midst of the restrictions, cathedrals were as filled as social distancing would allow, and the profound joy could not be missed. These committed men and the enthusiastic response to their affirmative response to the Lord’s call are a great source of hope. The Lord is watching over and providing for His people gathered in the Church. On the occasion of a recent pastoral visit to the Marine Installation at Quantico, I was reminded of the intentionality with which the MCCW supports the cosponsored vocations program. The women keep the seminarians in their prayers, keep track of the upcoming ordinations, and even maintain some contact with them. I was touched to receive a poster with pictures of all of those to be ordained to the priesthood and the diaconate this year.

This spring, the Archdiocese of Washington asked me to take a few confirmations for them, and I was happy to do so. Two of them provided me an opportunity to visit a part of the city unknown to me. The welcome from the communities was always very warm. Needless to add, the work of Catholic Relief Services on whose board I serve and the USCCB of which I am an officer has continued despite the pandemic. We are all getting better at zoom meetings. At least one saves the travel time, but for me, the Bishops’ Conference office building is within walking distance. At this time, we are engaged in planning for the pastoral year to

begin at the end of August. It is good to consider how we will move forward, but it is important to remain open to the generous initiative of Almighty God. We may not always know what will be open and running, but we can always be certain that the Lord walks with us. V

MARINES FROM MARINE CORPS EMBASSY SECURITY GROUP (MCESG) MEETING WITH ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO DURING HIS QUANTICO VISIT.