Catholic Military Life

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) offers military families as well as the general public a way to help Ukrainians withstand the ongoing Russian invasion. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Ms. Megan Gilbert, CRS Communications Officer, shares what CRS is doing to provide humanitarian relief and how you can help.

Among freedoms Ukraine is fighting the Russians for is the freedom to exercise religion. U.S. and NATO troops stand ready to join the fight if called upon. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Ukranian Catholic Archbishop Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia shares what's at stake.

February 2022 marks the 79th anniversary of the heroic deaths of the Four Chaplains, ministers of different faiths and denominations who gave up their life vests to fellow soldiers on board the SS Dorchester as it sank in the North Atlantic after a German submarine torpedoed the troop transport ship with more than 900 aboard. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Rev. Andrew Calandriello recounts the experience of that fateful night as told him by his father, who was on the Dorchester when mahem broke out, killing more than three of four on board.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought more U.S. troops to Europe where they remain on high alert. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Auxiliary Bishop William (Bill) Muhm, Vicar for Europe and Asia, visits Washington, D.C., from his home base in Germany, talks about the impact on Catholics who serve, and shares his experiences of ongoing regular international travel in time of COVID.

The Military Council of Catholic Women (MCCW) is inviting Catholic women with a connection to the U.S. Armed Forces to take part in its Forum 2022 April 21-24 in Tampa, FL. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, MCCW President Kim Miller and Forum Director Aly Tugaoen tell us what's in store for those who participate.

As Vocations Director of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Father S. Matthew Gray has his work cut out for him. He is responsible for shepherding young men discerning a vocation to the Catholic priesthood and U.S. Military chaplaincy at a time when active-duty priests are in extreme short supply. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Gray shares his vision for how to plug the gap.

The Knights of Columbus recently published the 6th edition of Armed With the Faith, an almost indestructible prayer book for active-duty personnel to carry wherever they go, even in the heat of battle. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, nurse Megan Gabauer shares how the prayer book helps bring healing to wounded or ill warriors.

In June 2021, retired U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Patrick E. Kelly, Esq., was installed as Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus (K of C). In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Mr. Kelly joins us by telephone from K of C headquarters in New Haven, CT, to share his vision for a vast, growing international fraternity that each year generously raises tens of millions of dollars for the Catholic Church, including strong support for the AMS and its Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program.

Unlike other Catholic U.S. dioceses, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), spans the globe, shepherding U.S. Military members wherever they go. Noone knows better than Ms. Victoria Kaczmarek, whose job it is to support the year-round travel of Archbishop Timothy Broglio's four auxiliary bishops. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Ms. Kaczmarek shares the joys and challenges of helping the bishops get where they need to go, across state lines and national boundaries.

Father Richard Erikson, Ch, Brig Gen, USAF (Ret), recently teamed up with Country and Western singer/songwriter Jay Clementi to compose a song about U.S. Military chaplains. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Erikson joins us to listen to the song, "Born to Bless the Fallen," and tell how the song came about.

Father Daniel J. Swartz, CHC, LT, USN, was with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26 when a suicide bomber attacked, killing 13 American military members and many civilians who were trying to flee Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Swartz tells his story.

The homecoming of Father Emil Kapaun, Servant of God, to the Diocese of Wichita, KS, last month was greeted with the hero's welcome he deserved, 70 years after his death in a North Korean Prisoner-of-War Camp. Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), was among those present and shares his experience in this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS.

Like other branches of the U.S. Military, the Air Force is in sore need of more Catholic priests to go on active duty as chaplains. Father Robbie Deka, Ch, Capt, USAF, is a chaplain recruiter for the Air Force. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Deka explains how serious the shortage is, and what he's doing to plug the gap.

The Knights of Columbus and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), will resume their annual Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage in May of 2022 following a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The dates for the upcoming Pilgrimage are May 10-16, 2022. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Colonel Chuck Gallina, USMC (Ret.), explains who qualifies for the all-expenses paid trip to the famous Grotto and its healing spring waters.

The Aug. 26, 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul airport hit close to home for Father Daniel Lorimer, a priest of the Diocese of Wichita, KS, and former U.S. Army chaplain. From February to October 2014, Father Lorimer served in Afghanistan, hopscotching by helicopter between Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to bring the sacraments to U.S. servicemen and women on the front lines. In the Aug. 30 edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Lorimer shares his experiences and thoughts on the 20-year war's violent end.

The televised images of the U.S. Military airlift of refugees from Afghanistan are strangely familiar to Catholic former Congressman Anh (Joseph) Cao of Louisiana. When he was a boy of only eight, he fled his native Vietnam to start life anew without parents in America, went on to graduate from Baylor University with a degree in physics and spent six years as a Jesuit seminarian before becoming a lawyer and the first Vietnamese American ever elected to Congress. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, former Congressman Cao shares his thoughts on the quandary now facing Afghan refugees.

On Sept. 7, 2021, at 6:30 p.m., Archbishop Timothy Broglio will celebrate the annual Memorial Mass for Father Vincent R. Capodanno, MM, in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, in Washington, D.C. EWTN will televise the Mass live across North America. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Retired Admiral P. Steve Stanley, Chairman of the Father Capodanno Guild, and Retired U.S. Marine Sergeant Major Henry Hernandez, who served with Father Capodanno, share why they believe "the Grunt Padre" should be canonized in the Catholic Chruch.

The First Amendment right to free exercise of religion is alive and well in the U.S. Military despite ongoing cases and controversies. That's the encouraging assessment of Mr. Daniel Blomberg, Esq., Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. He elaborates in this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

COVID-19 has taken a steep toll on the Catholic War Veterans (CWV) of the USA and its Auxiliary. Between March 2020 and July 2021, the veteran service organization lost more than 300 of its eight-thousand members at a time when membership, once boasting 50,000, was already in steady decline. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, CWV National Commander David Crum considers the future of the organization founded in 1935 and chartered by Congress.

Since 2014, 65 men have entered seminary to become Catholic U.S. Military chaplains, and so far 38 have been ordained priests, nine have gone on active duty, and another 24 will go on active duty over the next three years with more on the way. Those strong numbers are thanks in large part to Father Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O., who soon leaves his role as Vocations Director for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), to pursue other ministry. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Logan reflects on a remarkably successful seven-and-a-half years guiding young men discerning the vocation within a vocation to serve those who serve.

Learning about the Catholic faith can be fun for children and teens on the portal, AMS Family Witness to Christ. The portal, powered by Catholicbrain.com, provides games, puzzles, videos, songs, and other innovative and interactive tools to attract and hold the interest of students in grades pre-K through 12. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Catholicbrain CEO and Founder Mosongo Osong and Director of Content and Marketing Pete Socks share how the Catholicbrain came to be and why it's an especially useful educational tool for military families.

Father Jason E. Hesseling, CH (MAJ), USA, was recently awarded the U.S. Army Order of St. Martin of Tours Chaplaincy Award for his service to the Catholic community at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. The award is given to a chaplain or religious affairs specialist who has demonstrated "the highest standards of integrity and moral character," displayed "an outstanding degree of professional competence," and "selflessly served soldiers and families, and contributed to the promotion of the Army Chaplaincy. Father Hesseling serves with endorsement and faculties from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Hesseling talks about his life and service as a U.S. Army chaplain and how he came to receive the Army Chaplain Corps' most prestigious award.

Is it a virtue to endure hardship without complaint? The Stoics of Ancient Greece certainly thought so. In her new book, "Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience," Dr. Nancy Sherman, a Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and former holder of the inaugural Chair in Ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy, cites evidence the practice of stoicism can actually help treat a condition afflicting many in the Military: moral injury, the spiritual agony suffered from committing, failing to prevent, or witnessing an act contradicting one's deeply-held moral beliefs. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Dr. Sherman shares insights to be published in her new book, out May 11, 2021. Preregistration is open at Amazon or wherever books are sold.

Since 2004, the Knights of Columbus have funded publication of "Armed with the Faith," a Catholic prayerbook specifically for Catholics in the U.S. Military. The pocket-size, water-resistant prayerbook (shown on the desk in the photo) is designed for use anywhere those who serve may find themselves, whether in the relative safety of a home base or port, or in the field or high seas of battle. "Armed with the Faith" has proven to be so popular all available copies have been distributed and the prayerbook is currently out of stock. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Father Daniel R. Sweeney, S.J., a U.S. Air Force chaplain colonel and the prayerbook's editor, reveals a new edition will soon go to press and shares when "Armed with the Faith" will once again be available to Catholics in uniform.

While in High School, the Reverend Mr. Jason Allan thought he would become an engineer, but God had other plans. In May of 2021, he will be ordained a priest of the Diocese of Fort Worth, TX, with plans of eventually becoming an active-duty U.S. Navy Chaplain. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, the Rev. Mr. Allan traces his journey through priestly formation and shares how he hopes to relieve a chronic shortage of Catholic chaplains on active duty.

With active-duty chaplains in short supply, the U.S. Navy has recruited a reservist to serve as 3rd Battalion chaplain at the U.S. Naval Academy. Father Paul Kostka, CHC, LT, USN, came to Annapolis from Denver, CO, in October 2020 to begin a one-year assignment. Before his tour at the Naval Academy, Father Kostka served in support of the 3rd Marine Expedition at the Navy Reserve Center in Denver, where he was also a chaplain at the University of Denver. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Kostka, a member of the religious congregation, Servants of Christ Jesus, shares his experiences providing pastoral care to the midshipmen.

New York Times bestselling author Joe Drape is out with a new book called The Saint Makers. It explores how the Holy See's Congregation for the Causes of Saints goes about deciding who gets to be a saint, focusing heavily on the current case of Korean War hero, U.S. Army Chaplain, and Medal of Honor recipient Father Emil Kaupan (1916-1951). The rich and unique narrative leads from the plains of Kansas where Father Kapaun was born and raised to the opulent halls of the Vatican, through brutal Korean War prison camps, and into the stories of two individuals, Avery Gerleman and Chase Kear, whose lives were threatened by illness and injury and whose family and friends prayed to Father Kapaun, sparking miraculous recoveries in the heart of America. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Mr. Drape shares some of what he found while researching Father Kapaun's life story and all that's required in the Catholic Church to become a saint.

Two weeks after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the National Guard was called in to keep order during the inauguration of President Joseph Biden. Father Michael Zimmer, Ch, Capt, USAF, a chaplain in the Nebraska Air National Guard, was among those deployed to the Nation's Capital. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Zimmer joins us by phone from Lincoln, where he is stationed with the 155th Air Refueling Wing. He shares how he celebrated Mass on a makeshift altar in the Capitol building while providing pastoral care for Guard members on a tense but ultimately successful mission to keep the peace in a turbulent time on Capitol Hill.

Father Alejandro De Jesus is the new president of the National Conference of Veterans Affairs Catholic Chaplains (NCVACC). He works full time at the San Antonio VA Medical Center and succeeds Father R. Peter Francis as NCVACC president. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father De Jesus joins us by telephone from San Antonio to share how the NCVACC supports pastoral care for Catholics receiving treatment from the VA. And he explains how a recent change in the federal employment classification of VA chaplains is meant to raise the standard of ministry but could also make it harder for Catholic priests to become VA chaplains at a time when some medical centers are suffering a shortage of Catholic chaplains.

In Nigeria on Dec. 27, 2020, thugs wielding semi-automatic rifles kidnapped Auxiliary Bishop Moses Chikwe of Owerri and his driver, Mr. Ndubuisi Robert. Bishop Chikwe is a former chaplain at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego, CA. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Bishop Chikwe shares how their abductors held them for five days in the Nigerian wilderness, at one point attacking Mr. Robert with a machete, only to receive His Excellency's forgiveness and blessings upon their release, but not the ransom they had sought.

Seminarian Patrick DiLoreto discovered his military calling before he did his priestly vocation. Through the ROTC program at the University of Northern Colorado, he joined the Colorado National Guard at the end of his freshman year in 2012, inspired in part by the influence of an older brother who served in the U.S. Army and deployed to Afghanistan while Mr. DiLoreto was still in high school. But it was not until he made a spiritual retreat his junior year in college that he discerned a call to priesthood and military chaplaincy. Now, Mr. DiLoreto is on track to be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Colorado Springs in 2023 with plans to go on active duty as an Army chaplain. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Mr. DiLoreto reflects on his priestly calling and how he hopes to make a difference serving those who serve.

Meet Father Joseph M. Fleury, CH (COL), USA. At 69, he is the oldest active-duty chaplain in the U.S. Military. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Fleury traces his extraordinary 32-year career in the Army, recapping tours in Korea, Panama and elsewhere, and he shares how his 2005 deployment to war-torn Afghanistan has so far been the most meaningful of his long period of service to those who serve, which, by the way, has just been extended another two years.

Father Mark Bristol, CHC LT, USN, is one of four U.S. Navy chaplains assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theordore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and the only Catholic priest. Father Bristol was on board in late March when an outbreak of COVID-19 sidelined the Roosevelt at Guam for more than two months during a deployment to the Western Pacific. Ultimately, more than 1,200 sailors were infected--about 25% of the carrier's crew, and one died. For the first time Father Bristol gives a complete first-hand account in this, the Nov. 23 edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

Mr. Armando Herrera majored in pre-medicine while going through the ROTC program at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), hoping one day to become a doctor in the U.S. Army. While finishing up his degree, though, Mr. Herrera began to explore life's deeper meaning. He discerned God's call to the priesthood and military chaplaincy. Now, Mr. Herrera, 27, is immersed in priestly formation at Theological College in Washington, D.C., where he is on track to be ordained a priest in 2022. Mr. Herrera plans eventually to go on active duty as an Army chaplain following a period of pastoral service in his home Diocese of Richmond, VA. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Mr. Herrera shares how his vocational ambitions evolved from "doctor of the body" to "doctor of the soul."

Mr. Liam O'Shea-Creal, 25, grew up in Lincoln, NE, just two blocks from his Catholic parish. Although he went to a Catholic school and was active as an altar server, he had no intention of becoming a priest. Not until after he went to college at the University of Nebraska. There, as a student majoring first in business and then psychology, he began to discern a vocation. Now, Mr. O'Shea-Creal is in nearing the final stages of priestly formation at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmittsburg, MD. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), the seminarian shares how he realized God was calling him to be both a priest and a chaplain in the U.S. Navy with AMS endorsement and faculties.

Jesus Christ tells us in John 15:13 that "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." In World War Two, Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur (1912-1944) of Ville Platte, LA, a chaplain lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, lived out the meaning of that message. He died on a Japanese prisoner-of-war transport ship mistakenly torpedoed by a U.S. submarine off the coast of the Philippines, ignoring his own safety to aid wounded fellow American POWs, give absolution to the dying, and help those he could escape through an open hatch to freedom, even as their captors opened fire. On Sept. 5, 2020, Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of Lafayette officially opened Father Lafleur's Cause for Canonization. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Mark Ledoux, the Episcopal Delegate for the Cause, shares the chaplain hero's remarkable story and how Father Lafleur, who posthumously received a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and two Distinguished Service Crosses for his bravery, is now on track to become a saint.

The Annual Pilgrimage for the Sea Services will be celebrated on Oct. 4, 2020, at 3:30 p.m. EDT at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 339 South Seton Avenue, in Emmitsburg, MD. The principal celebrant and homilist will be the Most Reverend Joseph L. Coffey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Bishop Coffey is a retired U.S. Navy chaplain. Because of social distancing restrictions imposed by state and local officials over the COVID-19 pandemic, on-site participation will be limited to no more than two-hundred. However, the 3:30 p.m. Mass will be live-streamed to the public on the Seton Shrine’s website at https://setonshrine.org/annual-sea-services-pilgrimage/. A recorded edition will be accessible on the site after the event. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Retired Admiral William J. Fallon, Chairman of the Sponsoring Committee, talks about the unusual plans for this year's pilgrimage and how you can participate from home.

When he finished law school at Pepperdine University and passed the bar exam, Bradley D. Easterbrooks embarked on a career in the U.S. Navy as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. But God had other plans for the active-duty lieutenant. When Bradley discerned a priestly vocation, he put his military legal career on hold and entered seminary. He is now completing formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Upon ordination, Bradley, 35, plans to go back on active duty as a U.S. Navy chaplain. He has his work cut out for him. Due to a nationwide shortage of priests, the Navy currently has only 48 active-duty Catholic chaplains, serving more than 135,000 Catholics not only in the Navy but also the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and their families. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Bradley retraces his journey to priesthood and shares how he hopes to help relieve the Catholic chaplain shortage and bring Christ to those who serve in the Navy.

Korean War hero and U.S. Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun died on May 23, 1951, in a North Korean Prisoner of War (POW) camp. He had spent the previous six months risking his life to sustain and save the lives of fellow prisoners with no concern for his own health and safety. In 2013, then-President Obama postumously awarded Father Kaupan the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. The Holy See's Congregation for the Causes of Saints is now considering Father Kaupan's Cause for Canonization. Father John Hotze, a priest of Father Kapaun's home Dioecese of Wichita, Kansas, is the Episcopal Delgate for the Cause. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Hotze joins us by telephone from Mulvane, Kansas, to bring us up to date on the progress of Father Kaupan's Cause.

On July 16, 2020, Father Mark Rutherford, J.C.L., a priest of the Diocese of Lansing, MI, took office as Judicial Vicar of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS). In that role, Father Rutherford will oversee the archdiocesan Tribunal, which, among other judicial functions, rules on the validity or nonvalidty of marriages based on canon law. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Father Rutherford shares thoughts on his new role and how he hopes to serve those who serve, and he he notes in passing two of the most common signs of a troubled Catholic marriage.

Like nearly all U.S. educators, Catholic catechists in the U.S. Military have had to unleash creativity this year in their ministry of teaching the Catholic faith to children and young people from grades Pre-K through 12. Taking advantage of shelter-in-place orders due to COVID-19, Mr. Jose Amaya, Director of Faith Formation for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), is holding a series of webinars for clergy and lay catechetical leaders. Each webinar in the series, called "Be My Witnesses Mission 2020," deals with an aspect of the AMS vision for catechesis as outlined in the AMS Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization: Archdiocesan Religion Curriculum Guide and supported by the AMS Family Faith Assessment, catechist training and certification, and leadership development. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the AMS, Mr. Amaya is joined by AMS catechetical leaders Jennifer Koepl at Fort Gordon, Roger Olaes at Travis Air Force Base, and Patti Ramos at Fort Lee to share how the webinars are honing their skills and strategic planning for the soon-to-start new year of religious education in the midst of pandemic in this global Archdiocese.

Father Piotr Koziolkiewicz, CH (CPT), USA, finds balance between the physical and the spiritual. While not hearing confessions, administering other sacraments, or celebrating Mass for Catholics of the 589th Brigade Support Battalion at Grafenwöhr, Germany, he runs and bikes incredible distances. He stays active not only to stay in shape but also to serve as an example to the soldiers and their families in his flock. Recently, upon turning 40, Father Koziolkiewicz took a couple of long bike rides across Germany, each in excess of 300 miles. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Koziolkiewicz joins us by phone from Grafenwöhr to share his adventures on two wheels, and how they relate to his priestly calling serving those who serve.

In the Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, Pope Francis calls on the Church to consider refreshing the ways she can accompany young people. Accordingly, the Evangelization Office of the Archdiocese for the Military Services will hold a Young Adult Ministry Symposium Aug. 6-9 in Silver Spring, MD, just outside the nation's capital. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese, organizers Katie Taylor and Casey Bustamante Lee share plans for the symposium, and how Catholic young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 who serve in the U.S. Military can make plans to participate.

From the COVID-19 pandemic to the spread of racial tensions over alleged police brutality, the year 2020 so far has brought a trove of troubles. But amid all the uncertainty and social disruption, Catholics serving in the U.S. Military have reasons to celebrate. A record eighteen young men are being ordained this year in hopes of becoming military chaplains, offering hope for relief to a chronic shortage of priests serving on active duty. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Vocations Director Father Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O., reflects on this banner year for AMS ordinations and what it could mean for the practice of Catholic faith in the U.S. Military.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Military Catholics have cause for celebration this year. Seventeen young men who are on track to become military chaplains will be ordained. That’s the largest class of chaplain candidates in recent memory. Eight will be ordained priests and nine, transitional deacons in preparation for priestly ordination next year. The bumper harvest promises some relief to a desperate shortage of priests on active duty. The Reverend Mr. Daniel Duplantis, 2d Lt, USAFR, a prospective Air Force chaplain, will be ordained a priest on June 6 in New Orleans. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), the soon-to-be Father Duplantis shares how he discerned a vocation, the ways he hopes to provide pastoral care for Airmen and their families, and what life is like in his final year of formation at Notre Dame Seminary in “the city that care forgot.”

New York's veteran population, situated at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in America, has been hit hard since the outbreak in early March. Father Andrew Sioleti knows first-hand. As Chief of Chaplains at the VA's New York Harbor Healthcare Sytem, Father Sioleti has had his hands full, anointing the sick, hearing confessions, and bringing Holy Communion as well as counseling, and support to afflicted veterans and civilians alike, their families, and health care workers, all the while overseeing a staff of nearly a dozen chaplains serving the system's medical centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a community living center in Queens. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Servies, USA (AMS), Father Sioleti, who serves with AMS faculties and endorsement, shares his experiences caring for the ill, their loved ones, and doctors and nurses on the front lines, and his vision of hope amidst so much chaos and suffering, physical and spiritual.

Catholic chaplains in the nation's VA medical centers are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Since the disease claimed the life of its first VA patient in mid-March, the death toll has climbed sharply. As of Easter Monday, April 13, more than 240 VA patients and several VA health care workers across the country have died of the disease. In New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic, the James J. Peters Medical Center has been overrun with COVID-19 patients, and dozens there have died over the past few weeks. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Tony K. Mensah, the hospital's chief chaplain, shares how he and fellow chaplains are coping as they provide spiritual care to the patients, their families, and the doctors and nurses taking care of the sick.

The military lifestyle, with its unique culture, frequent deployments and permanent changes of station (PCS), triggers ongoing stress for those who serve and their families. All too often, that stress leads to alcohol and drug addiction among military personnel, particularly after they are discharged or retire and no longer subject to zero-tolerance policies and random testing. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), Dr. Heather C. Robertson joins us by phone from New York, where she is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at St. John's University. Having researched the problem of addiction in the military, Dr. Robertson shares her findings and where to find help for those in need.

The U.S. Military is on the frontlines of America's war with what is now its worst enemy--the coronavirus and the potentially deadly disease it can cause, COVID-19. The Defense Department is providing millions of N95 respirator masks and more than a dozen testing labs, Army scientists are hard at work on developing a vaccine, the Navy is preparing hospital ships for New York and California, the Air Force has evacuated U.S. citizens stranded on foreign soil, and the National Guard has been deployed in states around the country. And with the military stationed around the world in hard-hit countries such as Italy, Spain, and South Korea, and states including Washington, New York, California and Louisiana, military personnel are at least as susceptible as anyone to infection. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, we learn more about this "invisible enemy" from Rear Admiral Dr. Joyce Johnson, USN (Ret.), a physician and infectious disease epidemiologist whose last duty assignment before retiring at the rank of rear admiral, upper half, was Director of Health and Safety for the U.S. Coast Guard. Dr. Johnson, a devout Catholic, serves on the AMS Finance Council.

Suicide among U.S. Veterans is a persistent problem that continues to vex VA health professionals and chaplains alike. According to the latest figures, at least 60,000 veterans died by suicide between 2008 and 2017. That's nearly ten times the number of American military personnel killed since 9/11 in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, and even more than the total number killed throughout the entire Vietnam War. And the data show the problem is only getting worse, as vets cope with the psychological and spiritual repercussions of combat. Those include conditions ranging from posttraumatic stress to depression, addiction, divorce, and moral injury. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father Alejandro J. DeJesus, a chaplain at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Medical Center in San Antonio, joins us by phone from Texas to discuss this alarming trend, what he and other Catholic VA chaplains are doing, and how you can help if you know a vet at high risk.