I just watched Life on the Rock and on it a military chaplain priest in the navy guest stared. The number of chaplains is small in number compared to the great need for them. I was wondering if anyone discerning the priesthood had thought about doing it. For information on it go to www.catholicmil.org

Another website I recommend is about one military chaplain who is being considered for canonization. Fr. Vincent Capodanno. www.vincentcapodanno.org

Great topic! There's also Fr. Kapaun http://www.frkapaun.org/

I just watched that episode, too, and I couldn't help but think about my former sd, Fr. Paul, who is currently a military chaplain serving in Iraq. I had never really thought about the service and dedication necessary to be a military chaplain, but after seeing this episode...wow. And actually reading some of Fr. Paul's e-mails about how so many of the soldiers haven't seen a priest in months and how much he is trying to serve them with Mass, the other sacraments, and just being a non-judgemental ear is really amazing. I haven't actually thought of the military chaplaincy in my discernment quite yet, although it has crossed my mind a few times, because right now I think it's a bit too early, as I've got to decide which community God is calling me to, and go from there. It is definately a very worthwhile ministry, though. With a lot of military chaplains, how much they fight for Christ is often not really known. For example, a Benedictine monk who just died this past year was a military chaplain in Vietnam, and he would skydive into the middle of combat zones to be able to minister to the soldiers. I'll have to think about it when the time is right, that is for sure.

May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors, especially your discernment!

Your Brother in Christ,

Joe

If I remember correctly, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien (Baltimore) once served as a military chaplain.

I missed it! Will there be an encore showing?



Also, Archbishop O' Brien, was the Archbishop for the Military Archdioceses, until his most recent assignment.


I have thought about being a chaplain, but it would not fulfill my mission. I do have alot of respect for the 'grunt padres' though

encores on Friday at 1 am and pm and Sunday at 11 pm (all Eastern Time)

MY QUESTION MADE IT ON TO THE SHOW!

which one was it?

"How is it different being a military chaplain from that of a parish priest, other than the being in a warzone?"

I made a set of preaching stoles for a Navy chaplain heading to Iraq when my oldest was stationed in Portsmouth. He wanted something in muted colors because they told him if he was saying an open air mass, bright red would make him too tempting a target. So I made him double sided ones to take up less space, in kind of a pale mauve/lilac, a shade redder than dusty rose, and a very pale grass green. I also included a reconciliation stole that had buttons on the back side to line up with his uniform pockets so he could button it down. My dad told me once that he saw a chaplain almost get shot because he ran back to pick up his stole when it fell off when he was running from man to man on the battlefield. I always do vestments with care, but I put so much more thought into those than normal. I made sure he could machine wash them, and reinforced all the seams. I even made a little zipper pouch so they could stay clean in his sea bag. They do such important work, I felt honored to make them.

As well you should feel proud to have made the stoles. It is a great blessing to help a priest of Our Lord in any way. Now, helping a military chaplain, who sees soldiers who do not see a priest for maybe six months at a time, thats special! Keep up the great work Catherine M.

I know a seminarian must ask permission before being able to discern being a military chaplain. One friend wants more than anything to be a navy chaplain (he served in the navy for a number of years), but his bishop won't let him, nor will he let any of the seminarians in that diocese.
However, another friend of mine (in a different diocese) received the blessing from the bishop to be a military chaplain and, now that he is ordained, he is training to go abroad. The vocations director for the Arch. of St. Louis is also a military chaplain.

There was a Navy chaplain in our OKC Archdiocese years ago, and he finally retired and came back home. It could be that in areas where vocations are thin, they are hesitant to let a seminarian go for potentially a decade or more.

My priest was a military chaplain in Iraq. He served almost two years.

My old diocese is losing a great high school chaplain because he enlisted in the military to go overseas and serve. His name is Fr. Brian. Please pray for him. He is a wonderful man.

Here's a great priest I've met from the Archdioese of Chicago, Fr. Matt Foley, who discerned a call to become a military chaplain, Priest heeds call to Iraq

Just a side note, I knew this before, but he went to college with Chris Farely. Maybe some of you have heard of his "motivational speaker" character, Matt Foley ..


But anyway, back to becoming a military chaplain, I find this story really inspiring. My brother in the seminary is also discerning this call.

I just realized, I posted the wrong link. This one goes straight to the article, Priest heeds call to Iraq

Also, the YouTube video at the end of the article, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDICmcxrIEM

Also, another side note, but I don't mean to recommend SNL or anything. It's definitely a terrible show these days with very very low morals the vast majority of the time, it wasn't always like that in the past .. Chris Farely was pretty funny though. I'm sure Fr. Foley always kept him in his prayers. May he rest in peace

another article and video on Fr. Foley. God bless him!