Salute - Summer 2017

SUMMER 2017

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA

“Stay quiet Marine,

you will be ok” Servant of God

Father Vincent C. Capodanno 13 February 1929 – 4 September 1967 Articles: Pages 30-37

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Dear Friends and Benefactors of the AMS,

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ummer is upon us. The longer days in our hemisphere and the higher temperatures invite us to enjoy needed rest, a change of scenery, and an opportunity to visit family and friends.

This summer affords several opportunities for the global Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. There will be a first-time ever retreat for young adults near Chicago. The Office for Evangelization has been working hard to reach this important segment of those entrusted to AMS pastoral care.

The Archdiocese also sent a small delegation to the national Convocation of Catholic Leaders; The Joy of the Gospel in America, held over the Fourth of July in Orlando, Florida.

The U.S. Bishops hope that this gathering served as an impetus for the continued evangelization of the nation. That goal merits your prayers. Evangelization is the responsibility of all of us.

This issue of Salute is filled with accounts of the last months’ activities on the part of my Auxiliary Bishops and me, a look at new initiatives from the advancement team, introduction to another new co-sponsored seminarian, a report on the Chrism Mass, and the closing of the archdiocesan phase of the Cause for the Canonization of the Servant of God, Father Vincent Capodanno, MM.

On 19 May, I joined with the D.C. staff of the AMS to give thanks for my first forty years as a priest. It is incredible that time has passed so quickly. The Lord has been good to me and I rejoice every day in His call along with the grace to respond.

Sincerely in Christ,

The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio Archbishop

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA

VOLUME 11 NUMBER 2 SUMMER 2017

TA B L E o f C O N T E N T S 4 Four Academies and Everything in Between

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio 10 A WWII Veteran and the WORD Bishop Richard B. Higgins 13 KOREA! “Land of the Morning Calm” (or is it?)

Bishop F. Richard Spencer 17 29 Palms for Passion Sunday Bishop Neal J. Buckon 30 Witnessing Reactions to His Story:

A Touch of Grace George Phillips 33 An Extraordinary Person, Who Did

Extraordinary Things...

Monsignor Frank A. Pugliese 38 Archdiocese Offers New Online Course...

Taylor Henry 41 Archdiocese Launches Podcast...

Taylor Henry 42 Annual Chrism Mass Taylor Henry The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, publishes SALUTE for the nation’s Bishops, active and retired military chaplains and financial supporters of the Archdiocese.

ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please send title, name, address and phone number to: support@milarch.org call 202.719.3600 or write: Advancement Office, Archdiocese for the

Military Services, P.O. Box 4469, Washington, D.C., USA 20017-0469

SUMMER 2017

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA

“Stay quiet Marine, you will be ok” Servant of God

Father Vincent C. Capodanno 13 February 1929 – 4 September 1967 Articles: Pages 30-37

Feedback, letters to the editor: editor@milarch.org | Website: www.milarch.org

SUMMER 2017

SUMMER 2017

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BY: ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO

Four Ac

demiesa nd verything in Between E a

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO (R) WITH COL JOSEPH B. DORE U.S. ARMY MEDCOM LRMC (L)

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o say that travel is a constant in the life of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, would only confirm what every reader of Salute already knows. Ministry to the Armed Forces and the Medical Centers of the Department for Veterans Affairs means a packed suitcase, an easily portable crosier, and an abundance of frequent flier miles!”

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y spring travels are determined by the commitments made in advance, but central to scheduling is the desire to be present every year at four of the military academies in the jurisdiction of the AMS. Visits to the Air Force Academy, the US Military Academy at West Point, the Coast Guard Academy, and the Naval Academy at Annapolis mark the rhythm of my spring travels.

In February the Air Force Academy welcomed me for an annual visit. Of course, I took advantage of being in the “neighborhood” to visit F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, WY; Buckley Air Force Base and St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver; Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, and the 10th Air Wing (which supports the Air Force Academy) in Colorado Springs. Confirmation was celebrated, Commanders were visited, and even some tennis was played.

Fathers Magnuson and Lea at Fort Carson arranged the schedule so that the three of us could talk about ministry in the Army today. The quality time with these two priests enriched my stay in Colorado. Of course, all of the

priests do their utmost to ensure that my time is well-spent. After ten visits to the area I no longer need a GPS to get from one stop to the next.

This year a vibrant exchange took place at SPIRE (a catechetical gathering held for different faith groups at the Air Force Academy on Monday nights). I was only half way through my prepared remarks when I opened the floor up for questions. They continued to be raised until the time for the gathering ended. The interest of the young people in their faith, the desire to grow, and the ability to ask intelligent, relevant questions made the time fly by.

The visit to Colorado this year was quite compressed.

Boston College had committed me to Mass for their DC area alumni on Super Bowl Sunday. That was one bookend and the other was a celebration to honor Veterans at La Salle High School in Cincinnati.

The latter allowed me the occasion to visit the three AMS co-sponsored seminarians in formation at Mount St. Mary’s of the West and to address the faculty there. Those (continued on page 6) SUMMER 2017

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FOUR ACADEMIES (continued from page 5) commitments assured that there were few idle moments for ten days in February.

The preparation on the part of the young men at La Salle and the response by the Veterans confirmed the importance of that event. It is vital to remind the emerging generations of the commitment of those who have gone before them.

The freedoms we hold dear cost others dearly!

Prayer breakfasts and luncheons also helped to keep boredom far from my doorstep. Fort Riley, Kansas, Ramstein Air Base in Germany (which also allowed for a good visit to some of the patients at the US Military Hospital at Landstuhl), Fort Polk, F.E. Warren, and the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington are among those covered in 2017!

At the end of February I made a brief visit to West Point.

Fathers Pawlikowski and Bolin made certain that I was welcome.

The parish council gathered for dinner after the Saturday anticipated Mass and there was an opportunity to spend some time with those to be confirmed on Sunday.

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An impressive exhibit of art from the Nazi concentration camps at the library provided a somber meditation on Sunday afternoon.

The visit to the campus concluded on Monday morning with Mass and an office call with the Superintendent of the Academy.

Mass and patient visitation at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland was the station of this global Archdiocese on Ash Wednesday. It was an appropriate way to begin the Church’s annual retreat in preparation for the Resurrection of the Lord.

Care and hope are clearly the guideposts for activities at the hospital. Fathers Aguilera, O’Grady, and Gaskin, along with the Franciscans from the local community assure excellent pastoral care. I think that the priests and Friars must walk miles every day along those endless corridors.

However, they are known by everyone. It was an honor to be guided by them to a select group of patients.

After the visit to Ramstein I made my way to Louisiana. The

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO PRAYING DURING MASS IN LANDSTUHL HOSPITAL CHAPEL.

first stop was at Fort Polk, which is near the airport in Alexandria, but really not close to anything. The community was most hospitable and the meals were plentiful.

Such continued to be the case at Barksdale Air Force Base where I was welcomed in a stately family home by the members of the Catholic advisory council.

It was a very pleasant evening, abundant good food, and delightful company. One member of the community served as my driver throughout the visit.

I celebrated confirmation in both communities and the young women and men were well-prepared to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. There was also an occasion to visit the local Bishop, the Most Reverend Michael Duca, and to see his splendid cathedral.

The spring discernment retreat at St. Patrick Seminary near San Francisco gathered an excellent group of young men who are (continued on page 8) SUMMER 2017

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FOUR ACADEMIES seriously considering the seminary and the military chaplaincy. The AMS continues to be a major source of vocations in the United States and it is humbling to walk with these fine young men as they seek to discover God’s will for them. The seminary community, as also that of St. Joseph Seminary in New York, is extremely generous in ensuring a successful time of prayer, conversation, and celebration.

The following weekend was the occasion for a visit to the Coast Guard Academy. Father Michael Parisi made certain that the time was well-spent. There were many opportunities to interact with the students and three celebrations of the Eucharist with them. The visit also afforded an occasion to visit the Sub Base at Groton where Fathers Koch and Hoar shepherd the flock.

Curiously enough, time in the confessional bookmarked the visit to Connecticut. I assisted at the Penance Service at Joint Base Anacostia Boling on Friday night and then was at Annapolis for confessions on Monday evening.

There are so many occasions to receive and share divine grace.

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(continued from page 7)

The Chrism Mass on the Tuesday before Palm Sunday gathered many priests from the Washington Military District. The West Point Catholic Choir sang the Mass and many co-sponsored seminarians (from the local area) served.

Holy Week has fallen into a pattern. Palm Sunday finds me at Andrews Air Force Base. The AMS Station for Holy Thursday and Good Friday is West Point. The Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday are at Annapolis. At the last mentioned celebration three were baptized, many received into full communion with the Church, and several were confirmed. The celebrations were spectacular.

Father Foley at Annapolis made certain that those of us returning to Washington just before noon on Easter Sunday would not faint on the way! I concluded my Easter celebrations with the Spanish Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. That, too, has become an enjoyable tradition.

Since Easter Sunday, I have celebrated 17 confirmations

both in the Washington area and beyond. On one particular Saturday I discovered that I had scheduled myself for confirmation at an Arlington diocesan parish at 1:30 in the afternoon and again for the Washington Military District at the Basilica of the National Shrine at 4:30. The challenge is that one parish was almost an hour away.

“Waze” offered some interesting suggestions for the route back across the river!

The President of the Bishops’ Conference allowed me to

visit El Salvador for the first time. It was an interesting visit, but cramped between the Air Force priests’ retreat and the annual pastoral visit to the installations and the VA in Puerto Rico. Again I spent more time in airports than in the places visited.

The days have been full, but the ministry rewarding. The Academies set the parameters, but other commitments seem to fill in the gap. I can only give thanks to the Lord for the strength to minister and to you for making it possible.V

CORRECTION TO LAST NEWSLETTER:

The 9th Annual Benefit

for the AMS will be held on Saturday, 18 November 2017 at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Washington, D.C. The Annual Benefit is the largest fundraising event for the AMS. The evening begins with the Celebration of the Eucharist at 5:00 p.m. EST followed by a cocktail reception and sit-down dinner. Advance ticket purchase is required for the reception; no tickets will be sold at the door.

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WORD A W W I I V et er a n a n d t he

BY BISHOP RICHARD B. HIGGINS

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ome years ago I was visiting a VA Medical Center in the Southwest.

It was Sunday morning and I was the principal celebrant. We had an eclectic mix of veterans, caregivers, and family in the congregation and it was time for the first reading. An 83 year-old veteran stepped up to the lectern. I am not sure what I expected but all of us were surprised. This frail, diminutive World War II gentleman “captured� us with his dramatic and passionate proclamation of that first reading. He spoke to us, looked us in the eye, told us that dramatic story and when he was finished I almost pleaded with him to continue, to tell me more! I was not alone. You could see it in the faces of the congregation. He had our attention and we heard what he had to say.

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roclaiming the Good News is a challenge. The WORD must be heard before it can be digested, before it can transform, before it can fulfill its mission. I fear that for the majority of our Catholic people their only exposure to the WORD is on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.

Consequently, the quality of proclamation is critical, even more so if

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worship aids are not available to the congregation. Yes, I belong to that school that believes retention of the message is enhanced if the community can see as well as hear the WORD. I learned that a long time ago while participating in a flight instructor refresher course! If the WORD is not heard, then it can never be as effective as intended. (continued on page 12)

MAJOR PAUL P. KOESTER, USAF, PROCLAIMING THE WORD, ANNUAL MEMORIAL MASS, BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.

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A W W I I V et er a n a n d t he W O RD (continued from page 11)

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am also convinced the WORD must convict the proclaimer before they step to the lectern. We need dynamic, passionate proclaimers, not ineffective readers and it is a sad truth that priests, deacons, and untrained lay readers can be the worst proclaimers. Recall the 83 year-old veteran. Why did he capture our attention that Sunday morning? That Scripture passage had changed him and he had a message he wanted us to hear. It was important to him and he wanted us to know about it. He did not speak to a cobweb in the back of the chapel; no, he looked us in the eye, one by one. He was passionate in his proclamation and spoke from his heart, a message that had transformed him. It was life-giving and life-changing and you crusty old veterans had better “listen up.”

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roclamation is a ministry not to be undertaken lightly and we must insist on thorough and recurrent training of our lectors/proclaimers.

Occasionally this will mean inviting long-established lectors to consider a different ministry in the service of the community, a task demanding the utmost diplomacy!

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e are privileged stewards of the WORD, the Good News of Jesus Christ. The stories of Jesus have been told for centuries and have transformed civilization. He is our hope, our salvation. However, in this digital age when we are drowning in information it is vital that we do whatever possible to ensure the Good News is not only proclaimed to our people but heard and internalized. By improving the quality of our proclamation and facilitating effective listening, we might succeed in getting through to a few of those “hard of heart” who need to hear the Good News.

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hat wonderful old veteran inspired us that Sunday morning. He no longer wore a uniform but his service was not over. He was still on a mission. This time it was a mission on behalf of the Good News and we paid attention. May the good Lord reward him for his diligence, his unique talent and his courageous witness! V

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KOREA!

“LAND OF THE MORNING CALM” (OR IS IT?) BY: BISHOP F. RICHARD SPENCER

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had wonderful and exciting visits in Korea during Holy Week and Easter Week. While the world was anxious about the military and political tensions with North Korea, our U.S. Troops, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard members, and their families, all remained spiritually resilient and focused on living and sharing their faith even in the midst of tensions.

Please notice the picture with the boat in the background and the name and number printed on the side of the boat. YES, this is an ARMY boat! The “boat” and “crew” that I visited are called U.S. Army LCU (Landing Craft Utility). I was told that the Army actually has more boats than the Navy (I wish that were as true about football victories, but we will wait for next fall to have that discussion). Combined Forces Command and Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) Forces conducted Exercise Operation Pacific Reach from 10 March through 21 April 2017 on Pohang Dogu Beach located on the east coast (continued on page 14) BISHOP F. RICHARD SPENCER WITH SEVERAL “CREW MEMBERS” DURING EXERCISE OPERATION PACIFIC REACH.

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Korea!

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of Korea. Major General John Sullivan and Father Edgar Villanueva hosted my two-day visit for the field exercise. This training event was focused on integrating R.O.K., and U.S. Alliance logistic capabilities within air, land, maritime, space and information environments. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines were all involved. Chaplain (LTC) Douglas C. Swift, Command Chaplain, along with his Deputy and Family Life Chaplain, CH (MAJ) Simon J. Chang, assist the 19th ESC (Expeditionary Sustainment Brigade) while Father Villanueva’s Unit is the Special Troops Battalion (STB) 2ID Sustainment Brigade.

The visit to the exercise was only one of the many memorable visits throughout Korea and Guam. During the spring visits, I was able to celebrate seven Confirmation Masses along with Holy Week Rites, all at different installations and camps. Another particularly noteworthy visit was meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the Archbishop of Seoul, along with the Worthy Supreme Knight and Knights of Columbus CEO, Mr. Carl Anderson. In the photo below, the priest standing to the left

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of the Cardinal is Father Jerry Hammond, a Maryknoll Missionary, who lives in South Korea. He has visited North Korea 60 times during the past 54 years of his ministry. His last visit was May 2017. He is allowed to wear his clerical collar in North Korea while he and a medical team provide TB shots and medicines to the villagers.

Our beloved Knights of Columbus organization continues to increase the number of Councils throughout South Korea, with four Councils on U.S. military bases and three Councils functioning independently in local Korean parishes. The photo above highlights another Fourth Degree Exemplification ceremony that we conducted on Palm Sunday afternoon followed by an outstanding banquet. ďżź Of course, the opportunities to engage our military personnel as their guest speaker during multiple events such as prayer breakfasts and luncheons were not lacking. During a lunch event at Osan Air Base, an Airman correctly (continued on page 16) SUMMER 2017

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Korea!

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BISHOP F. RICHARD SPENCER AWARDING THE “BISHOP’S PRAYER COIN”.

answered one of my Catholic Trivial Pursuit questions and, therefore, was awarded the highly coveted “Bishop’s Prayer Coin “! (You, too, can have one of these wooden coins for only $.34 on Ebay !)  So, as you can see, the “Land of the Morning Calm” is still calm as our brave women and men continue to serve and defend with honor, dignity and pride.

Again, many thanks to all of you who enable this global ministry to remain involved in the lives of our U.S. military members. To God be the Glory! V

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29 PALMS FOR PASSION SUNDAY

BY BISHOP NEAL J. BUCKON

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very Passion Sunday for the past five years I visited 29 Palms, also known as the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC). It is always a joy for me to conduct the annual pastoral visit with the Marines and their families living on, and working at the Marine Corps premier training facility in California’s high desert situated just north of Joshua Tree National Park. Marine Corps units come to 29 Palms to participate in combined arms live-fire field training exercises. This valuable training prepares the Marines for their expeditionary missions overseas.

The Garrison at 29 Palms is also “home” for tenant units such as the 7th Marine Regiment. Father Vincent Robert Capodanno, a Servant of God and a recipient of the Medal of Honor, was assigned to the 1st Battalion 7th Marines when he arrived in Vietnam after serving in Taiwan and Hong Kong as a Maryknoll Missionary. When Father Capodanno was asked by a reporter why he had chosen to volunteer for service in Vietnam, he replied, “I think I am needed here as are many more chaplains. I’m glad to help in any way I can.”

As I drive from Yucca Valley and 29 Palms can be seen in the distance I too am wrestling with the thought of the great need for many more Catholic Chaplains.

The 7th Marines no longer have a Catholic Chaplain to help them sustain their faith and their morale. Many of the Battalions that will rotate through the (continued on page 18) SUMMER 2017

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29 PALMS

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MCAGCC for training and qualification will do so without a GRUNT PADRE. This also means that our young Catholic Marines (approximately 1/3 of the force) may enter into the hardships and the privations of an expeditionary deployment without a Catholic priest. On future battlefields, Marines will be called upon to make sacrifices and endure their own passion without the presence of a priest-chaplain to care for their souls.

Colonel Hal Sellers, the Pastoral Council President, greeted me when I arrived, and helped me check into the Ocotillo Suite. We then drove to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Chapel near the parade field to begin the pastoral visit.

I first met with the Young Adult Group. The majority of the group had been members of a Church Youth Group, or a Catholic Campus Ministry program prior to joining the Marines. In spite of the high operations tempo they are committed to having a Young Adult Group in the garrison. I told them that this is commendable. We spoke about being Missionary Disciples of the New Evangelization and I informed them of the Archdiocese’s first-ever Young Adult Ministry Conference in Northbrook, Ill. I reminded them that all of their fellow Marines are also looking for happiness, and that this happiness has a human face, and it is the face of Jesus Christ.

After the meeting with the young adults, Colonel Sellers escorted me to the Lincoln Club House where Father Jovy Roldan, the contract priest from the Diocese of Stockton, and Father Mike McCullough, a local clergyman, introduced me to members of the Pastoral Council, and a team of important volunteers and families in the Catholic Faith Community. We then blessed our

BISHOP BUCKON AND THE 29 PALMS’ CATHOLIC COMMUNITY PREPARING FOR THE PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION.

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food and shared a delectable BBQ dinner. Community activities and events such as the barbeque dinner are especially important for isolated garrisons and bases such as 29 Palms. The Community of Faith realizes great solidarity as it shares its life in Christ.

On Sunday morning, the Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), Mrs. Alice Ann Patu, greeted me and introduced me to the eight members of the chapel community who were going to be confirmed during the Passion Sunday liturgy.

They were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and wellTHE YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY GROUP STANDING. prepared as are all who L-R: FATHER McCULLOUGH, FATHER ROLDAN, study with Mrs. Patu.

BISHOP BUCKON AND COLONEL HAL SELLERS. After meeting with the Confirmation class, it was time for pictures! The Liturgical Art and Environment Committee had creatively decorated the chapel in an artistic manner that captured the essence of Passion Sunday. The picture taking was well organized and the task was soon completed in the enhanced Sanctuary.

Afterwards we joined the assembly that was gathering outside at the entrance into the chapel. Deacon Mike Kromm, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and seminarian Ted Drennan, Diocese of San Bernardino, were busy preparing the altar servers, the choir, the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard, and the community for the Blessing of the Palms, and the commemoration of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. This year’s celebration of Palm/Passion Sunday Mass was simply outstanding in every respect. My appraisal was confirmed by many of the faithful that participated and wanted to tell me just how meaningful it was for them. (continued on page 20) SUMMER 2017

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After Mass I met separately with the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women of the Chapel, and the Pastoral Council. These meetings are an opportunity for us to exchange information. I used this visit to share with these groups the five priorities of the Strategic Plan of our Catholic Church in the U.S.A., and suggested that they give due consideration to these priorities when they meet and deliberate. I asked them to consider working with Father Roldan and Father Mike McCullough in having married couples and family retreats before I return next year. Father McCullough is a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and operates the nearby Refuge / Retreat Center in the high desert for those who serve in the Los Angeles Police Department and he says the facility is available. Passion Sunday was brought to an end with an evening Mass followed by a dinner. Some of the young single Marines were delighted to have “chow” with a bishop.

Early Monday morning Colonel Sellers collected me and we went to the Saint Francis Room in the chapel for a breakfast with Colonels and Command Sergeant Majors. Since the breakfast was taking place on the 75th Anniversary of the Bataan Death March, I used the occasion to talk to the senior leadership of the MCAGCC about morale, loyalty, and faith. My takeaway point was that faith makes a difference, faith helps us to believe that our lives have meaning even when we are suffering, enduring hardship, and are caught up in dutiful sacrifice. Faith will keep the Marine’s spirit strong BISHOP BUCKON WITH 2017 CONFIRMATION CLASS (FRONT ROW) AND SPONSORS (SECOND ROW)

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so they can complete their mission, because if their spirit fails they will fail themselves, their unit, and their Country. After breakfast, I celebrated Mass; and then had an office call with Brigadier General William F. Mullen III, USMC, the Commanding Officer of MCAGCC. I briefly met him and his wife after Sunday’s morning Mass, which they usually attend. I thanked the General for many years of service to the Country and to the Marine Corps; and for his support of the Catholic program in his garrison. I also thanked him for the wonderful hospitality that he and his Marines had provided, and then with tongue in cheek I remarked that there are always enough palms for Passion Sunday at the MCAGCC! After the office call I departed for home.

On the drive to San Diego I went past Camp Pendleton where Father Capodanno’s last unit, the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines is now located. Like the 7th Marines, the 5th Marines are also without a priest-chaplain, and Mass is not celebrated in the Capodanno Chapel. I am looking forward to the day when there will be an increase in the number of Catholic priests serving in the Armed Forces. Father Daniel Mode, a Navy Chaplain and the author of The Grunt Padre wrote of Father Capodanno, and his words may inspire other stout-hearted pastors of souls to discern a call to this unique ministry.

“Known for a remarkable courage and tenacity, the grunts could hardly be prepared for the horrible realities of war they routinely saw each day - deaths, brutal woundings, endless loneliness and depression, temptation to despair. To combat the darkness of the combatant, the light of Christ needed to be lit and carried. Such was the job of the Christian chaplain in a war zone …. Father Capodanno chose to be more than just a priest assigned to minister to the tragedies of war. He became a spiritual comrade by removing all distinctions and obstacles between his grunts and himself in the way he had learned in his Maryknoll training and ministry. He lived, ate, and slept as the men did…Grunts recall in vivid detail their padre keeping company with them through an entire night, isolated in distant and dangerous jungle outposts. Others recall the Grunt Padre leaping out of a helicopter in the midst of battle, blessing the troops, serving the Eucharist to the Catholics, and then leaping into a chopper heading off to another corner of active conflict….He remained at the side of the dying, present until the end, rather than let any man die alone, and then he sought to offer solid grounding and hope to the buddies who grieved at the loss of friends.” V SUMMER 2017

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Who Are These Men? AMS Vocation Director, Father Aidan Logan, describes our Co-Sponsored Seminarians

ARCHBISHOP BROGLIO WITH RETREATANTS AND PRIEST-CHAPLAINS 2017 SPRING DISCERNMENT RETREAT ST. PATRICK’S SEMINARY, MENLO PARK, CALIF.

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n 20 April, I returned from the last round of seminary visits for the 2016 -2017 academic year, visiting our 35 Co-Sponsored Seminarians in 18 seminaries throughout the United States and in Rome. Who are these men? What motivates them? Who are their heroes? What do they read?

How do they pray? Why do they want to be military chaplains?

In the past three years as Vocation Director, I have observed some common traits that provide a fascinating and encouraging picture. This is based on both personal conversations and the questionnaire sent to each candidate.

Priestly Example: This stands out as the first and most frequently cited

factor in a priestly vocation. The living example of parish priests and priestchaplains emerges again and again in the testimony of our candidates. The priesthood is not an abstraction. It is not the idea of the priesthood that awakens a vocation but the experience of the priesthood in action.

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Eucharistic Adoration: If the lived experience of the priesthood ignites the spark of a vocation; prayer, especially prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, fans it into flame. It is here that the action of God’s grace is most evident in these men. In the Blessed Sacrament they encounter Christ, the Priest and Perfect Sacrifice, who calls men to follow Him as priests. It is only in the perfect self-sacrifice of Our Lord that the mystery of a priestly vocation is comprehensible. As the priestly vocation has become more countercultural, a personal identification with Christ in the Eucharist becomes more important than ever.

Heroes and Authors: A man’s heroes (and heroines) will tell you a lot about him. The healthy masculine identity that goes with a priestly vocation is reflected in our candidates’ frequent mention as sources of inspiration their fathers, grandfathers and priests they have known. Among the saints most frequently mentioned for their example and writings are Saint Pope John Paul II, St. John Vianney, Blessed Giorgio Frassati, and St. Francis of Assisi. All of these were men and women of deep prayer and of total self-sacrifice to both God and neighbor. But the most surprising and enlightening among them is the great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine and his autobiography, The Confessions. I say “surprising” because, unlike the other heroes, Augustine is the least accessible to the modern mind. Yet, he was the first to reveal to the world his innermost thoughts and his struggle with the God who alone could satisfy the deepest longing of his heart.

A Vocation within a Vocation: Finally, in every case there is the

conviction that military chaplaincy is not a career but a vocation, a call from God to serve as priests for our men and women in the Armed Forces; to bring them the word of life and the life-giving sacraments, to be their support in sorrow and companions in joy, to witness to them that, even amid the difficulties of deployments and the horror of war, God is with them.

These are our Co-Sponsored Seminarians. Pray for them and for vocations. V

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THE HARVEST CONTINUES...

NAME: Carlos A. Warfield (ARCH)DIOCESE / RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY: Diocese of Monterey ARMED FORCES BRANCH: Army RANK: Staff Sergeant COLLEGE(S) / UNIVERSITY(IES) / SEMINARY(IES) ATTENDED (DEGREES AWARDED): Wayland Baptist University, BAS Math Studies HIGH SCHOOL(S) ATTENDED: Desert High School, Edwards, Calif.

HOBBIES: Running, karaoke, cooking, and visiting family.

TEAM SPORTS: Football, cross country, and track.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU THOUGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE A VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD? I always included the priesthood as a possible vocation. In the Army, I had time to reflect without certain distractions. I recognized a desire to pursue the priesthood.

WHO OR WHAT EVENTS INFLUENCED OR INSPIRED YOU IN YOUR DISCERNMENT? I had outstanding Catholic military chaplains, who provided support and morale during my deployments and inspired me to give back in a similar way.

WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? People are surprised that I enjoy long distance running. I like to take that time to organize my thoughts.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE, WHY? “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope,” Jer 29:11. This passage grows my capacity to trust in the Lord. I search for the purpose in whatever situation I find myself.

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“ I search for the purpose in whatever situation I find myself. ” HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST PERSONALLY? My relatives lived positive examples of faith-directed lives. My grandparents and parents continue to provoke me to grow deeper in my faith. A major influence is the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Their joy revealed God’s presence in my life. Growing up in the military, I participated in ecumenical services that help me to see Christ in others, while nurturing my Catholic faith.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE SPIRITUAL EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES THAT HELPED YOU DEVELOP AND SHARE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH? I served on a retreat team at Our Lady of the Lake University and traveled in missionary and pilgrimage capacities. I love the Catholic Church’s solidarity. Mass always made sense.

HAVE ANY SAINTS OR CHURCH LEADERS PARTICULARLY INSPIRED YOUR DISCERNMENT JOURNEY? St. Thomas Kozaki is a Japanese martyr, crucified as a teenager. He is a patron to hold on to the faith of a child that Jesus calls us to. The message of Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates with me. She echoes Jesus’ message, “Do not be afraid.”

WHAT WAS YOUR BACKGROUND BEFORE APPLYING TO BE A SEMINARIAN APPLICANT? I served the U.S. Army as a Preventive Medicine Specialist. The major events that shaped my career were my time in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central America.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPIRITUAL BOOK? Conversations with Mother Teresa by Renzo Allegri. I was intrigued by the story about Mother Teresa leaving a miraculous medal in Russia for its conversion.

WHO ARE YOUR HEROES OR PEOPLE YOU SIGNIFICANTLY ADMIRE? Two of my heroes are single mothers. Their daily life is mind-blowing. It must be the grace of God to keep their faculties about them to respond to the challenge of parenting.

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR PRAYER LIFE? My daily prayers are comprised of novenas, rosary, chaplets of Divine Mercy, and daily Mass. There is weekly Adoration. V

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P l a n s a re U n d e r w a y f o r t h e ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE FOR T H E S E A S E RV I C E S AT T H E N AT I O N A L S H R I N E O F S A I N T ELIZABETH ANN SETON

E M M I T S B U R G , M D — The Seton Shrine welcomes servicemen and women who serve at sea, their friends, family and the general public to the Annual Pilgrimage for the Sea Services on Sunday, October 1, held at the Seton Shrine. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is the Patroness of the Sea Services, which includes the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and Public Health Service.

In 2016, 625 people attended the Pilgrimage for the Sea Services. “The Pilgrimage has taken place for many years, and in recent years there has been even more interest and growth in participation, which has brought renewed excitement to the event,” said Rob Judge, Executive Director of the Seton Shrine. “We’re grateful to have strong support from the Archdiocese of Military Services for the event. The Pilgrimage is an ideal time for the men and women of the Sea Services to join with family and friends in prayer, to thank Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton for her protection and ask for her continued intercession on their behalf as they serve our country.”

“We’re delighted to again have the Archdiocese for the Military Services cosponsor the event with the Shrine,” said retired Admiral William J. Fallon, Chair of the Pilgrimage Sponsoring Committee. “Their support provides

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the opportunity to welcome a much broader audience to the Pilgrimage and furthers recognition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton as Patroness of the Sea Services.”

The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, also commented on the Sea Services Pilgrimage. “I have been privileged to celebrate the Sea Services Mass at the Shrine before. It is a prayerful celebration to give thanks and pray for the men and women who serve our country at sea. I am very pleased that the AMS can co-sponsor and support the servicemen and women in this way.”

The Pilgrimage Mass, which begins at 3:00PM on October 1, will be celebrated by the Most Reverend William E. Lori, S.T.D., Archbishop of Baltimore. It takes place in the Basilica at the Seton Shrine, located at 339 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD. A complimentary dinner will be provided afterward to all in attendance. If you would like to attend, please contact Rob Judge by calling 301-447-6037 or through email at Rob.Judge@setonshrine.org.

Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native-born U.S. saint. The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton promotes her life and legacy to inspire everyone. More than 200 years ago, she came to Emmitsburg as a bankrupt widow with five children, and went on to found the first free Catholic school for girls staffed by sisters in the U.S., and the first community of religious women established in the U.S. Today, her legacy includes several religious communities with thousands of sisters, who serve others through schools, social service centers and hospitals throughout the world. Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized in 1975. Her remains are entombed at the National Shrine that bears her name. V SUMMER 2017

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A Standing Ovation

BY MARY LAVIN

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L-R MS. MARY LAVIN, AMS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT, MS. JO-DEE BENSON, 2LT DAVID B. CHACKO, AND DEACON ROY MELLON.

CREDIT PHOTO: PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICIA GUTIERREZ, CAPT, USN, RETIRED

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t was a standing ovation for AMS Co-Sponsored Seminarian and 2LT David B. Chacko on the last day of the Texas Knights of Columbus State Convention in Dallas at the end of April. Deacon Roy Mellon, Permanent Deacon from Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Rockwall, Texas, and Deacon for the AMS, introduced Lieutenant Chacko at the Texas Ladies Breakfast where he had been invited to serve as guest speaker and to talk about his ministry with the AMS. Originally from Saginaw, Mich., Deacon Mellon spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force working primarily in airborne reconnaissance before embarking on a private sector career as a software and systems

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engineer and corporate division manager for L-3 Communications.

He introduced Lieutenant Chacko, 2015 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, who is also a member of the Texas Knights of Columbus.

Deacon Mellon told the more than 250 women gathered, “While serving as a Signal Corps officer, and through an AMS discernment retreat he (David Chacko) confirmed his calling and is now completing his first year of pre-theology at the Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas.”

Jo-Dee Benson, wife of Knights of Columbus Texas State Deputy Douglas Oldmixon, identified the AMS Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program as the focal point for

support by the Texas Women’s Project for the next two years. In Texas, the wife of the State Deputy selects a specific charitable cause to promote while her husband serves in office. Jo-Dee was quoted as saying, “As the wife and mother and sister of U.S. Air Force veterans; and as the daughter and grand-daughter of U.S. Army veterans, I ask each of you to make a donation to this worthy program. The men and women who serve us daily deserve our gratitude and support. Will you please join us to ensure their spiritual health?” Since initiating the effort last July, the Texas Women’s Project has raised over $30,000 that will be designated towards the Father McGivney Military Chaplain Scholarship Program. The commitment and funds raised by the Texas Women’s Project will help make possible a new generation of much-needed Catholic chaplains to minister to U.S. military personnel and their families.

The Knights of Columbus established the Father McGivney Military Chaplain Scholarship Program in 2008 to help fund the education of seminarians preparing to become Catholic chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces. To date, fundraising has been led by the Fourth Degree, the patriotic degree of the Knights of Columbus, and

to date the Knights of Columbus have donated $1.5 million dollars in support of this one-of-a-kind program that provides priests for the Church who also serve as chaplains for all five branches of the U.S. Military.

In addition to raising funds, the Texas Women’s Project, and State Council Officers and Directors, have helped increase awareness about the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program with providing introductions and opportunities for enhanced engagement. Jo-Dee Benson has committed to working with the AMS to create a model, along with the related resources, for future use by other State Council Women’s Projects and that could be used in a similar manner by diocesan, parish, or other community organizations.

Please continue to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and to the military chaplaincy, especially for 2LT David Chacko and the 38 additional AMS Co-sponsored Seminarians currently in the program. Each prayer responds to the mandate given to us by the Lord Himself. That is our personal participation in the standing ovation. To learn more about the Knights of Columbus, go to www. kofc.org, and to www.milarch.org/ vocations to learn more about the AMS Vocations Programs. V SUMMER 2017

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C FATHER CAPODANNO CONDUCTS A FIELD PRAYER SERVICE FOR THE MEN OF “A” CO., 1ST BN., 7TH MARINES IN VIETNAM

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Est. 2013

Serv ant of God

FATHER VINCENT CAPODANNO, MM Witnessing Reactions to His Story: A Touch of Grace

BY GEORGE J. PHLLIPS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, FATHER CAPODANNO GUILD

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he Father Capodanno Guild was formed to support the Cause for canonization of Father Vincent Capodanno in multiple ways. Our first responsibility is to raise the funds required to support the extensive interviews, research, transcription, and travel for members of the archdiocesan tribunal as they work through the four major steps of the canonization process.

The second, and equally important purpose of the Guild, is to make the life of this holy Priest, this Servant of God known to the broadest possible audience.

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Over the past two years, well over 50 presentations about the life of Father Capodanno have been made by the Guild’s Board of Directors, and the board would like to share this story with many more. Most of these presentations were for Catholic support organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, Veterans of Foreign Wars, NYPD/NYFD Emerald Society, men’s and women’s societies, and grammar and high school classes.

As our Board Chairman, I have facilitated many presentations and the audience reaction and results are always the same. It is amazing to watch. Similar to most meetings, the event begins with attendees milling around, then an opening prayer, followed by the presentation. I begin by setting the scene in Vietnam on 4 September 1967.

By the time I’ve explained Father Capodanno’s mission, his support of the Marines in the landing zone (LZ), and his reputation as the “Grunt Padre,” the room has become still and quiet. I conclude these descriptions with Father Capodanno boarding the last chopper, heading into combat.

The story moves to Staten Island, N.Y., and Father Capodanno’s family, church, and faith. As I talk, the audience begins to understand what a special young man this priest-to-be was. We explore his human side, family trials, and tribulations. The audience now begins to understand the difficult choices that a young man must make in order to dedicate his life fully to Christ. I can see interest in the eyes of everyone in the audience.

There is so much to tell and time is usually limited. When I ask the host how am I doing on time, the answer is always the same – “Take as much time as you need.”

Everyone is experiencing the life of Father Capodanno, almost on a personal level. They want to hear more; so I explain his decision to join the Maryknoll Community in spite of his mother’s disapproval.

She preferred that he stay home and become a diocesan priest.

We then follow Father Capodanno to Taiwan, which was a special challenge for him. He worked there for 6 years, teaching young men to be fine Catholics and preparing them for the National (continued on page 32) SUMMER 2017

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tests that would determine their futures. At this time, in 1966, the Vietnam War was growing in troop size and violence.

After much reflection, Father Capodanno discerned that he belonged in Vietnam as a Navy Chaplain serving “his Marines.”

The audience is now totally engrossed in the story – I see it in their eyes, in their posture as they lean forward to hear more, and in the all-encompassing silence. As a presenter of a story I also lived, I can’t help but be affected by the audience’s reactions.

We then return to Vietnam, as the choppers are landing and the Marines and Father Capodanno disembark. Tension rises as we move closer to the first contact with the enemy, the violence of the ambush, and the recounting of Father Capodanno’s selfless

bravery - ultimately giving his life for his God, his Country, and his Marines. This is always a moment of grace. All thoughts are not on the here and now - but on the past, and the grace that continues to encompass Father Capodanno and the audiences as they share in his heroic journey.

After the presentation, there is respectful silence.

As the presenter, I bring the audience back to the present by explaining the Guild, its missions, and the status of the Cause.

There are rarely questions – just quiet self-reflection on the life of this Servant of God. To discuss and schedule a presentation about the life of Father Vincent Capodanno, MM, for your group, please contact Anita Holland at ahholland3@comcast.net V

32FATHER CAPODANNO CELEBRATING MASS IN TAIWAN.

An Extraordinary Person, Who Did Extraordinary Things in Extraordinary Situations

BY: MONSIGNOR FRANK A. PUGLIESE EPISCOPAL DELEGATE FOR THE CAUSE

“In all times, God chooses. . . many, who following more closely the example of Christ, give outstanding testimony to the Kingdom of heaven by shedding their blood or by the heroic practice of virtue.”

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(POPE JOHN PAUL II, “DIVINUS PERFECTIONIS MAGISTER)

have been privileged to come to know a priest that I admire and respect. Father Capodanno's whole life demonstrated his commitment to his missionary vocation as a Maryknoll priest and his love of those whom he served both in Taiwan and in Vietnam.

Father Capodanno received the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam. Being a war hero, though, is not the same as being a saint – a person of heroic or extraordinary virtue who is worthy of imitation.

Is Father Capodanno an intercessor capable of granting miraculous favors after his death?

His virtuous life is evident. Raised in an Italian Catholic immigrant family during the Depression, he learned the lesson of hard work.

He also deepened his faith in a family who nourished his vocation to the priesthood. The Capodanno family attended Mass every Sunday.

Vincent would take this appreciation of the Mass into his college years when he attended Mass daily.

Being deeply devoted to his mother, whom he had cared for after his father's death, the decision to become a Maryknoll priest was a difficult (continued on page 34) SUMMER 2017

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one because it meant separation from his mother and his family. One of the most difficult times in his life was when his mother died, and he was not able to return from Taiwan to celebrate her funeral Mass. Hard as that was, he faithfully fulfilled his promise of obedience.

After many joy-filled years in the missions in Taiwan, Father Capodanno requested and received permission from the Superior General of Maryknoll to become a Navy chaplain and serve the Marines in Vietnam, where he stayed well beyond his tour and until his death. The Marines who knew him there loved him and respected him as a priest-chaplain who loved them. He was for them a man of faith and hope in an environment that sometimes seemed hopeless. “It’s ok,” he would tell them. “God is here, and there is nothing to worry about.” And, time and again, he was with them to bring them into the presence of the God who loved them.

I can see clearly Father Vincent Capodanno's heroic practice of virtue – which, at times, was difficult for the witnesses to put into words. The more one learns about his life, the better one can recognize his faith, hope, and love of God and neighbor; his prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance; his living out of poverty, chastity, obedience, and humility. He was an extraordinary person, who did extraordinary things in extraordinary situations. He was loved and respected as a missioner in Taiwan, and as a Navy chaplain in Vietnam.

Because I was fortunate to get to know Father Capodanno through the testimony of over 50 witnesses, I am a better person and a better priest.

Had I come to know him while I was in the Navy, I would have been a better Navy chaplain! V FATHER CAPODANNO (L) ANNOINTING A WOUNDED MARINE IN VIETNAM.

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ARCHBISHOP BROGLIO INVOKES GOD’S BLESSING UPON THE CONGREGATION AT THE 23RD ANNUAL MEMORIAL MASS AT THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ON 21 MAY 2017. ON THE TABLE IN THE FOREGROUND IS A BOX CONTAINING THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE CAUSE OF FATHER VINCENT R. CAPODANNO, MM.

Archbishop Broglio Closes Archdiocesan Phase of Cause of Father Vincent Capodanno

BY TAYLOR HENRY

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n archdiocesan tribunal looking into whether the life of Vietnam War hero and U.S. Navy Chaplain Father Vincent R. Capodanno, MM, merits consideration for sainthood by the Catholic Church wrapped up its nearly four-year inquiry in May. (continued on page 36) SUMMER 2017

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His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, declared the archdiocesan phase of the Cause closed in an announcement on Sunday, 21 May, at the end of the 23rd annual Memorial Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The decision clears the way for the tribunal’s findings to go to the Holy See’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints for review and a possible decision on whether to advance the Cause to the next stage of consideration.

Father Capodanno (1929-1967), a Maryknoll priest from Staten Island, N.Y., died on 4 September 1967, while rushing to administer the sacraments to U.S. Marines under enemy ambush on a bloody hillside in Vietnam’s Quế Sơn Valley. The chaplain hero received the Medal of Honor posthumously on 7 January 1969. Since his death, there have been numerous reports of favors following intercessory prayers to the hero chaplain. He was declared a “Servant of God” in 2006 by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the request of then military Archbishop, the Most Reverend Edwin F. O’Brien, clearing the way for his Cause to go forward.

Archbishop Broglio, who took the helm of the AMS, in 2008, formally opened the Cause on 1 October 2013, when he appointed the tribunal to conduct its inquiry into whether Father Capodanno lived a “life of heroic virtue.” Over the past three and a half years, the tribunal, headed by Monsignor Frank Pugliese, the Episcopal Delegate, and Monsignor Thomas Olszyk, the Promoter of Justice, pursued its mission in painstaking detail, gathering facts on Father Capodanno, interviewing those who knew him and other witnesses, as well as, collecting documentation of his life and service. The Archbishop also appointed a theological commission, composed of three theologians, who poured over his writings to check for canonical and theological propriety, and an historical commission, which pieced together the details of his biography and life history.

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In declaring the inquiry closed, Archbishop Broglio stood over a container holding the case documents, perched on a table and sealed with red ribbons. The Archbishop proclaimed: “On the twenty-first day of May in the Year of Our Lord 2017, I ordered that the original copy of the Archdiocesan Inquiry of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno be sealed, be diligently preserved in the Archives of the Archdiocesan chancery, and never opened without my express approval; the transcript (copy to be sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints) be externally sealed by the Tribunal and signed and sealed by the Notary, will be handed to the Nunciature together with the enclosed envelopes of letters.”

The documentation, sealed with the imprint of the Archbishop’s episcopal ring, was thus sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If the Congregation decides to move the case forward, the next step would be to declare Father Capodanno a “Venerable Servant of God” while the Church further considers whether to beatify him. Anyone with information in support of the Cause of Father Capodanno is asked to contact the Father Capodanno Guild at www. capodannoguild.org or Ms. Mary Preece at mpreece@milarch.org V

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Archdiocese Offers New Online Course in Evangelization and Faith Formation

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By Taylor Henry

ilitary young adults and families, Hispanic and faithful of all cultures, now have a new online resource for learning about their faith, developing spirituality, and preparing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. The AMS is offering, in collaboration with the University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF), a FREE course called Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love.

The AMS implemented the new course over Lent as a way of taking part in the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry (V Encuentro)—a key initiative in the 2017-2020 Strategic Plan of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). AMS participation comes at the direction of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, U.S.A. In collaboration with VLCFF, the AMS adapted the five-part catechesis of V Encuentro into a five-week series of scripture study and contemplation. The course provides both written materials and audio recordings, with translations available in Spanish and English.

Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love (Discípulos misioneros: Testigos del amor de Dios) invites participants to prayerful reflection, missionary activity, and dialogue centered on five weekly topics: Week 1: Called to a Loving Encounter with Jesus in the Church Week 2: With Words and Actions: Do It! Week 3: Walking Together with Jesus Week 4: Bearing Fruits of New Life Week 5: Celebrating the Joy of Being Missionary Disciples

Clergy and lay leaders on U.S. Military installations are encouraged to make a special effort to invite military young adults and families from the first to fifth generations of Hispanics/Latinos. The course is also open to people

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from all cultures and ethnic backgrounds. AMS-certified catechists may use the course to renew certification.

The V Encuentro is a four-year process of ecclesial reflection and evangelization calling Hispanic Americans to intense missionary activity, consultation and leadership development that includes this initial level of community engagement. It serves to identify the best ministerial practices in the spirit of the New Evangelization, which the AMS already promotes in its Religion Curriculum Guide, Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization. All military young adults and families are encouraged to visit the Archdiocesan web page http://www.milarch.org/encuentro/ to become familiar with the Fifth Encuentro.

The AMS Fifth Encuentro Team includes Dr. Mark Moitoza (Evangelization), Casey Bustamante (Young Adult Ministry), Stephanie Moreyra-Bartolomeo (Representative of the Military Council of Catholic Women) and José M. Amaya (Faith Formation). The point of contact for the Encuentro process in the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, is José M. Amaya.

Please email FaithFormation@milarch.org or call 202-719-3623 to sign up for Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love. V CASEY BUSTAMANTE AND DR. MARK MOITOZA RECORD READINGS AND REFLECTIONS IN ENGLISH FOR THE ONLINE COURSE “MISSIONARY DISCIPLES: WITNESSES OF GOD’S LOVE” AT THE EDWIN CARDINAL O’BRIEN PASTORAL CENTER IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ON ASH WEDNESDAY 2017.

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Archdiocese Launches Podcast:

CATHOLIC MILITARY LIFE

BY TAYLOR HENRY

TAYLOR HENRY (L) CONDUCTING A PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO ( R )

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over Easter Week, a new form of mass

communication came to life at the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). The AMS launched a podcast called Catholic Military Life.

The podcast, featuring recorded audio conversations with chaplains and others involved with pastoral care to those who serve, now appears in regular episodes on the AMS website, its Facebook page, and external sites such as SoundCloud.

Two auxiliary bishops talk about their very different experiences jumping out of airplanes with fellow paratroopers. A retired Air Force chaplain shares how he negotiated with fellow officers to address secular influences threatening the free exercise of faith at the Air Force Academy. An Army National Guard chaplain spellbinds the listener with his account of bringing the sacraments to wounded G.I.’s receiving medical treatment at a field hospital in Iraq. A religious writer spins yarns from his book on a Catholic Civil War chaplain who served the Confederates. All are subjects of early editions, each exploring a different perspective on Catholic Military Life.

In the first edition, posted on 20 April, Archbishop Timothy Broglio reflects on his first nine years at the helm of the global archdiocese that is the AMS. “It’s been a good run, thus far,” says Archbishop Broglio. “Certainly, the high points consist in ministering to the fine men and women and their families. That’s really a privilege.

I think ordained ministry gives us the opportunity to reach out to people in moments that are particularly important to them, and so the opportunity to celebrate the sacraments with so many of our men and women in uniform, our cadets and midshipmen at the academies, and certainly, in 2009, spending Holy Week in Iraq, and in 2014, spending Holy Week in Afghanistan. Those were singular moments, privileged encounters between a shepherd and his flock…”

Catholic Military Life is just another way the AMS is building channels of communication with its worldwide population of 1.8 million in the U.S. Military, VA Medical Centers, and civilian service to the federal government beyond American borders. The new podcast joins other, ongoing forms of outreach including www.milarch.com, the e-TTENTION monthly newsletter, and the quarterly hard-copy magazine, SALUTE. To hear Catholic Military Life and check for regular updates, visit www.milarch.org/podcast V SUMMER 2017

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Archbishop Timothy Broglio Consecrates and Blesses Sacramental Oils at Annual Chrism Mass

BY TAYLOR HENRY

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acred oils for sacramental and ecclesiastical use throughout the coming year on U.S. military sites the world over—and in the nation’s VA Medical Centers—were blessed and consecrated the evening of 4 April at the annual Chrism Mass of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). During the Mass, Catholic military chaplains and priests in service to the Archdiocese also renewed their ministerial commitment.

Vested in white, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, raised hands over the silver-plated urns at the foot of the altar in the crypt church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He blessed the Oil of the Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick; and he mixed balsam with oil forming the “chrism” to be used at baptism, confirmation, and holy orders breathing over the mixture as part of the consecration rite.

More than two dozen priests and U.S. Military Chaplains joined Auxiliary

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Bishops Richard B. Higgins, Neal J. Buckon, and Robert J. Coyle in concelebrating. They included the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Monsignor John J.M. Foster, the Chancellor, Father Robert R. Cannon; and the Vocations Director, Father Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O. Rev. Mr. Rene Pellessier, a transitional deacon of the Diocese of Lafayette, La., who has since been ordained a priest, assisted at the altar. Cadets from the Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., sang.

In his homily, Archbishop Broglio called on his brother priests to go forward with renewed commitment to their calling to serve those who serve: “The priests here this evening go forth renewed in their commitment to minister. We pray that the oil blessed and consecrated tonight might enliven the chapped skin of our hands; restore the spring in our step; and renew our commitment to Christ and His Church. At the beginning

of Lent the Apostle told us that this is the acceptable time. It is always the acceptable time to make vibrant our commitment to preach the Gospel and to allow its rich message to drip on and penetrate every corner of the world… We recommit ourselves to the service of the men and women in uniform, patients in the Medical Centers of the Department of Veterans’

Affairs, their families, and those who serve abroad.”

Read the complete text of Archbishop Broglio’s homily at www.milarch. org in the “Presentations” submenu under the “Archbishop” tab.

Watch video of the 2017 AMS Chrism Mass at www.youtube.com/ MilitaryArchdiocese. V

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO BLESSES OILS FOR SACRAMENTAL USE AT U.S. MILITARY BASES WORLDWIDE AND VA MEDICAL CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017, IN THE CRYPT CHURCH OF THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. FATHER McPARTLAND (US NAVY) IS ALSO SHOWN TO THE RIGHT OF THE ARCHBISHOP.

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ARCHBISHOP BROGLIO PRAYS FOR THE NATION’S FINEST AT 23RD ANNUAL MEMORIAL MASS BY: TAYLOR HENRY

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio led 2,000 faithful in prayer for U.S. servicemen and women, living and deceased, at the 23rd annual Memorial Mass on Sunday, 21 May, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

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he stained glass windows of the Great Upper Church cast a celestial glow from the spring sunlight as the 4:30 p.m. Mass commenced with grandeur. The pipe organist blasted the opening tones of the processional hymn as the Choir of the Basilica joined with raised voices.

A Knights of Columbus honor guard led the opening procession up the center aisle. More than two dozen priests, all vested in white, followed close behind. Archbishop Broglio, wearing a miter and clutching his crozier, brought up the rear and incensed the altar (photo on page 46). Then a U.S. Military Color Guard marched to the fore and presented the colors. All present sang the National Anthem before the opening greeting.

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Television cameras stationed throughout the sanctuary panned the scene as the celebration was recorded for national broadcast the following week.

Both EWTN and Catholic TV broadcast the Mass in its entirety eight days later on Memorial Day, which fell this year on 29 May. In his homily, Archbishop Broglio called on the faithful to engage in “a courageous prayer” for world peace. “Someday soon may those with differences learn to sit down, dialogue, and find lasting solutions.”

The Archbishop reminded those gathered of the purpose for the occasion: “… Fundamentally, this celebration charges us to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the values and safety of our Nation. We think of those who dramatically died on a battlefield, but also of those who succumbed to old age or bear the marks of battle in body and spirit and those who care for them. In a particular way we pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop José Madera, who passed away earlier this year. We also recommit ourselves to the families who lost loved ones or who care for those who still suffer the cost of war … A local news station indicated that the number of organized protests in the Capital District is on the increase. I never fail to think that protestors can protest, because others keep watch, run the risks, defend our liberties, and die to preserve those rights we hold dear. Today, dear sisters and brothers, we pause in prayer to thank them for that commitment and to give thanks that we enjoy certain God-given rights.”

Among those concelebrating the Mass with Archbishop Broglio were: Auxiliary Bishop Richard B. Higgins, Episcopal Vicar for Veterans Affairs; (continued on page 46) SUMMER 2017

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MEMORIAL MASS (continued from page 45)

Maronite Chorbishop Dominic Askar; Monsignor John J.M. Foster, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia; Father Christopher Armstrong, Judicial Vicar; Father Robert Cannon, Chancellor; Father Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O., Vocations Director; and Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, Rector of the Basilica. V

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The Knights of Columbus WA R R I O R S T O L O U R D E S PROJECT 2017 5 9 T H I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes France

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BY: FATHER JOHN KAUL

ith the sponsorship of the Knights of Columbus, 200 wounded warriors, caregivers, volunteers, and chaplains, arrived in Lourdes on the 17th of May to join others in representing the United States in the annual International Military Pilgrimage (in French, Pelerinage Militaire International [PMI]).

The PMI originated after World War II when members of the British, Belgian, French, German, and Russian armies came to pray for peace at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1958, the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Lourdes.

“Dona Nobis Pacem” was the theme of this year’s gathering, and Bishop Richard Spencer, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services U.S.A., celebrated our principal liturgies including a Eucharistic Holy Hour and anointing of the sick — newly added to the program this year, and spoke to us about the theme.

Rosary processions by candlelight in the evenings, daily Mass, Faith and

Fellowship discussions, Stations of the Cross, opportunities at the baths, and a tour of St. Bernadette’s village comprised our scheduled spiritual program. It concluded with Sunday morning Mass in the huge St. Pius X underground basilica attended by some 20,000 pilgrims from 39 countries.

Priests, deacons, and Protestant chaplains composed a dynamic team assuring pastoral care for their assigned groups. The priests were available for the sacrament of penance at all times and with the others facilitated discussions at the evening Faith and Fellowship gatherings.

For three years now, by God’s grace, participation in the Warriors to Lourdes Project of the Knights of Columbus has increased. The applications process for wounded warriors, their caregivers and volunteers for the 2018 pilgrimage is expected to begin September 15th this year. Information on participation and sponsorship can be found at warriorstolourdes.com V SUMMER 2017

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AMS Delegation Attends Convocation of Catholic Leaders

By Mark Moitoza, D.Min.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will host the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America in Orlando, Florida during the first week of July. Over 3,000 leaders from 150 dioceses and Catholic organizations around the country will meet to assess the challenges and opportunities for missionary discipleship throughout the United States.

This gathering, under the leadership of the bishops, will assemble Catholic leaders for a strategic conversation on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture.

The conference is inspired by the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel.

As noted on the USCCB webpage about the convocation, Pope Francis spoke the with the participants in the Fifth Convention of the Italian Church stating, “[I]n every community, in every parish and institution, in every diocese and circumscription, in every region, try to launch, in a synodal fashion, a deep reflection on Evangelii Gaudium, to draw from its practical parameters and to launch its dispositions … I am certain of your capacity to put yourselves into a creative movement in order to make this study practical.” (November 2015)

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The Holy Father gave similar practical insight in the exhortation itself encouraging an active movement toward missionary discipleship, “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of

transforming everything so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her selfpreservation.” (Evangelii Gaudium 27) The planning for this event began over five years ago with the desire to convene leaders from each diocese and other key Catholic organizations, apostolates, missions, congregations, institutions, and agencies identified by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Leaders" are both official leaders within the Church – people occupying diocesan or parish offices, educators and directors – but also those who exercise leadership in apostolic efforts outside of the diocesan structure (both local and national), for example: Catholic leaders from various segments of the laity – such as those in higher education, business and cultural leaders, as well as Catholic young adults and emerging leaders.

Archbishop Broglio has invited an archdiocesan delegation of nine participants to join him in representing leadership insights from throughout the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. The delegation represents the various branches of service in this non-territorial home mission archdiocese. These leaders will attend keynotes, pray together, and participate in active discussion groups. The AMS delegation will conclude by meeting with the Archbishop to share insights from the convocation that would be beneficial for military personnel and their families. Please keep the convocation in your prayers and look for insights from the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in the next issue of Salute. V

Prayer of the Convocation

O Holy Spirit, you who first enkindled in our hearts the joy of the Gospel, renew that same joy in those who are preparing for the Convocation of Catholic Leaders.

Enflame the hearts of our bishops and their diocesan delegations; leaders of national organizations and movements; clergy, religious and laity; all who make this event possible; and Catholic leaders across the United States.

Move us to welcome the word of life in the depths of our hearts and respond to the call of missionary discipleship.

O Holy Spirit, transform our hearts and enable us to enter into the perfect communion that you share with the Father and the Son.* Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us.

Amen. *cf. Evangelii Gaudium 117.

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Save the Dates Catholic War Veterans (CWV) National Convention 6-13 August 2017 St. Louis, Missouri –––––––

Memorial Mass for Father Vincent R. Capodanno, Servant of God

Tuesday, 5 September 2017, Sunday, 6:30 pm

Crypt Church Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast | Washington, D.C. 20017 –––––––

Pilgrimage for the Sea Services Sunday, 1 October 2017

National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton 339 S. Seton Avenue | Emmitsburg, Maryland ––––––

9th Annual Benefit for the AMS Saturday, 18 November, 2017

Saint John Paul II National Shrine 3900 Harewood Road Northeast | Washington, D.C. 20017

(continued on page 20)

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The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Tour of Duty Brick Campaign Share your message of support for service members, veterans, chaplains, military families, and all who have served or continue to serve by reserving a commemorative brick today. Your commemorative brick will join hundreds of others lining the pathways of the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center in Washington, D.C.

Tour of Duty Brick up to 2 lines 18 characters per line $250 Donation

Memorial Brick

up to 4 lines 18 characters per line $300 Donation

To order a brick please visit

www.milarch.org/tour-of-duty-brick-campaign You can donate online or print a donation form.

Bricks are installed every spring and fall.

Questions? Please contact the Advancement Office, (202) 719-3622 or support@milarch.org.

SUMMER 2017

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– Servant of God Father Vincent C. Capodanno

“Stay quiet Marine, you will be ok”

“Serving Those Who Serve”

P.O. Box 4469 Washington, D.C. 20017-0469

Archdiocese For The Military Services, USA NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SOMD PERMIT #1169