Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, provides the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral and spiritual services to those serving in the United States armed forces or other federal services overseas. This military ordinariate is a special diocese that dates back to 1917 and was canonically erected in 1939 by Pope Pius XII for the members and others employed by the five branches of the United States military (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy), for the employees of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration and its patients, and for Americans in government service overseas. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was created by Pope John Paul II in 1985 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland that same year.

The diocesan bishop of the archdiocese is the Archbishop for the Military Services. The current archbishop is Timothy P. Broglio. He is assisted by several auxiliary bishops. Together they oversee Catholic priests serving as military chaplains throughout the world. None of the priests of the Archdiocese are incardinated in the Archdiocese. Each of its priests remains incardinated in his diocese or religious order. The Archdiocese maintains its offices in Washington, D.C., but has no territorial boundaries or "seat". The Archdiocese has no cathedral or bishop's church. Rather, the Archdiocese has jurisdiction wherever American men and women in uniform serve. The jurisdiction of the Archdiocese extends to all United States government property in the United States and abroad, including U.S. military installations, embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions.

Contents

History

Prior to the creation of the Military Ordinariate and then the Archdiocese for the Military Services, the armed forces of the United States was served by an informal corps of volunteer priests. Beginning in 1917, the spiritual care of those in military service fell to the Military Ordinariate, the equivalent of a personal vicariate apostolic, that is, a particular church the membership of which is defined by some personal quality (as in this case being a member or a dependent of a member of the armed services) that is headed by a legate of the pope. Originally, the ordinariate was headed by then-Bishop Patrick J. Hayes, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York who served double duty as papal military vicar for the United States beginning on November 24, 1917.

Hayes was chosen because New York was the primary port of embarkation for U.S. troops leaving for Europe and therefore a convenient contact point for Catholic chaplains serving with them. When John Farley, cardinal archbishop of New York, died, Hayes was appointed as his successor and simply kept the additional title and duty of military vicar. In November 1939, the Holy See established the Military Vicariate of the United States of America.[1] The post remained an additional duty of the archbishop of New York from Hayes' time until Cardinal Terence Cooke began plans to separate it as its own jurisdiction in the early 1980s, plans he was unable to carry out before his death in 1983. His successor, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor, a former Navy chaplain, former chief of Navy chaplains (the military's title for its own senior chaplain officer) and former auxiliary bishop for the military, then assisted in creating the separate Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, in 1985 and participated in the selection of its first own archbishop. On July 21, 1986, the military vicariate was elevated to the Military Ordinariate of the Archdiocese for the Military Services of the United States.[1]

Prelature

Military ordinaries and archbishops

† = deceased

* O'Hara was appointed "military delegate" at the same time that Spellman was appointed "military vicar," essentially making Bishop O'Hara something a bit more than the vicar general under then-Archbishop Spellman's jurisdiction.

Auxiliary bishops

Chancery

The diocesan chancery is located in Washington, D.C.[9]

Noncombatant status

See: Military chaplain#Noncombatant status

The Geneva Conventions state (Protocol I, 8 June 1977, Art 43.2) that chaplains are noncombatants: they do not have the right to participate directly in hostilities. Captured chaplains are not considered Prisoners of War (Third Convention, 12 August 1949, Chapter IV Art 33) and must be returned to their home nation unless retained to minister to prisoners of war.

Patron saints

See also: Military saint and footnotes[10][11]
Patron saint of military chaplains
See: St. John of Capistrano[12] and St. Martin of Tours
Patron saint of alpine troops
See: St. Maurice
Patron saint of armed forces
See: St. Michael
Patron saint of armies
See: St. Maurice
Patron saint of armorers
See: St. Maurice
Patron saint of artillery
See: St. Barbara. The Order of Saint Barbara is awarded by the US Army Field Artillery Association.
Patron saint of aviators
See: St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. Matthew
Patron saint of cavalry
See: St. Martin of Tours and Saint George. The Order of Saint George is awarded by the US Army Armor Association.
Patron saint of civil servants
See: St. Matthew
Patron saint of infantrymen
See: St. Maurice. The Order of Saint Maurice is awarded by the National Infantry Association (US).
Patron saint of military intelligence
See: St. Nicholas[13]
Patron saint of paratroopers
See: St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. Michael
Patron saint of quartermasters
See: St. Martin of Tours and Military Order of Saint Martin[14]
Patron saint of soldiers
See: St. Joan of Arc, St. Martin of Tours, St. Maurice, and St. Sebastian
Patron saint of swordsmiths
See: St. Maurice
Patron saint of U.S. Special Forces
See: St. Philip Neri

Prayers

See also: USN Chaplain Corps prayers, USMA Cadet Prayer, and Air Force Hymn
Prayer for the Archdiocese[15]
Prayers for the Military[16]
Prayer for Troops[17]
Prayers in a Time of War[18]
  • 1. For Troops
  • 2. Prayer of a Spouse for a Soldier
  • 3. Prayer of a Son or Daughter for a Parent
  • 4. Prayer of a Parent for a Soldier
  • 5. Prayer for Those who Await a Soldier's Return
  • 6. For Government Leaders
  • 7. For the Safety of Soldiers
  • 8. For our Enemies
  • 9. For Courage in the time of Battle
  • 10. In a Time of Waiting
  • 11. For Deceased Veterans
A Soldier's Prayers[19]
  • 1. For Families and friends Left At Home
  • 2. On the Eve of Battle
  • 3. For Hope in the Midst of Destruction
  • 4. Prayer For Officers In Command
  • 5. For Fellow Combatants
  • 6. For the innocent victims of war
  • 7. Prayer for refugees and victims of war

Chaplains by conflicts

For historic photographs of Army chaplains in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, see Chaplain Corps (United States Army)#Museum.
See footnote[20]

Chaplains in Civil War

For Civil War chaplains, see footnote.[21]

Chaplains in World War I

Chaplains in World War II

See footnote[23]

Chaplains in Korean War

See footnote[23]

Chaplains in Vietnam War

See footnote[23]

Chaplains in Iraq War

Fiction and literature portraying Catholic military chaplains

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Archdiocese for the Military Services of the United States. Giga-Catholic Information (GCatholic.com). Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  2. ^ Hayes was appointed auxiliary bishop of New York on July 3, 1914, by Pope Pius X. On November 24, 1917, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Military, USA, because New York was the primary port of embarkation for U.S. troops leaving for Europe and therefore a convenient contact point for Catholic chaplains serving with them. On March 10, 1919, he was appointed the fifth archbishop of New York and retained the additional title and duty of military vicar. Pope Pius XI created him a cardinal on March 24, 1924.
  3. ^ Spellman was appointed by Pope Pius XII as the sixth archbishop of New York on April 15, 1939, and was formally installed as archbishop on May 23. In addition to his duties as diocesan bishop, he was named Apostolic Vicar for the U.S. Armed Forces on December 11, 1939. He was created a cardinal on February 18, 1946.
  4. ^ O'Hara was elected the vice president of the University of Notre Dame in 1933, and its president in 1934. President Franklin D. Roosevelt named him a delegate to the 1938 Pan-American Conference in Lima, Peru. On December 11, 1939, he was appointed Apostolic Delegate for the U.S. Military Forces and Titular Bishop of Milasa by Pope Pius XII. He was consecrated a bishop on January 15, 1940, by then-Archbishop Spellman. President Roosevelt later appointed him to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy, becoming the first Catholic bishop to be so honored. On March 10, 1945, he was named bishop of Buffalo and was installed on May 8. On November 23, 1951, he was named archbishop of Philadelphia. He was created a cardinal on December 15, 1958.
  5. ^ Cooke was appointed auxiliary bishop of New York on September 15, 1965, by Pope Paul VI. He was consecrated a bishop on December 13. He was named the seventh archbishop of New York on March 2, 1968. In addition to his duties in New York, he was named Vicar Apostolic for the U.S. Military on April 4. He was created a cardinal by Pope Paul VI on April 28, 1969.
  6. ^ a b c Ryan was a Navy chaplain from 1943 to 1946 and took part in the Marine landing at Okinawa. He served as chancellor of the U.S. Military Vicariate from 1957 to 1958. On February 7, 1966, he was appointed the first archbishop of Anchorage, Alaska, by Pope Paul VI. He was consecrated a bishop on March 25 by Cardinal Spellman. On November 4, 1975, Ryan was named coadjutor archbishop for the Military Vicariate and Titular Archbishop of Gabii. After the death of Cardinal Cooke, Pope John Paul II elevated the Military Vicariate (which had been run by the Archdiocese of New York) to the rank of an archdiocese and named Ryan the first archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, on March 16, 1985.
  7. ^ McCarty was appointed auxiliary bishop for the U.S. Armed Forces and Titular Bishop of Anaea on January 2, 1943, by Pope Pius XII. He was consecrated a bishop on January 25 by then-Archbishop Spellman, with Bishop John Francis O'Hara serving as a co-consecrator. On April 10, 1947, he was named coadjutor bishop of Rapid City, So. Dak.
  8. ^ Furlong was chaplain, with the rank of major, for the 8th Regiment of the New York National Guard from 1943 to 1948. On December 3, 1955, he was appointed auxiliary bishop to the US Military Vicariate, a responsibility at the time of the archbishop of New York. New York Cardinal Archbishop Francis Spellman ordained Furlong bishop on January 25, 1956. After the death of Cardinal Spellman on December 2, 1967, Furlong served as administrator of the military vicariate until the appointment of then-Archbishop Terence Cooke as the new military vicar on April 4, 1968. Furlong retired as auxiliary bishop of the vicariate in 1971 at age 78.
  9. ^ Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, official website. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  10. ^ Military Saints. Mission Capodanno website. Catholics in the Military. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  11. ^ Military Blesseds. Mission Capodanno website. Catholics in the Military. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  12. ^ Craughwell, Thomas (23 October 2009). "St. John of Capistrano: Patron of Military Chaplains". CatholicMil.org (reprinted from Arlington Catholic Herald). http://www.catholicmil.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1524:st-john-of-capistrano-patron-of-military-chaplains&catid=57:military-saints&Itemid=91. Retrieved 2009-12-28. 
  13. ^ "St. Nicholas Center: People". St. Nicholas Center. 24 December 2011. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/people/. Retrieved 2011-12-24. 
  14. ^ The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps has a medal in his name. See United States Army Quartermaster Corps#Military Order of Saint Martin and Quartermaster Corps: The Order of Saint Martin (which includes photos of both sides of the medal).
  15. ^ Prayer for the Archdiocese. Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  16. ^ Prayers for the Military. Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  17. ^ Prayer for Troops. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  18. ^ Go to Prayer for Troops and scroll down to "Prayers in a Time of War". U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  19. ^ Go to Prayer for Troops and scroll down to "A Soldier's Prayers". U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  20. ^ Military Heroes. Mission Capodanno website. Catholics in the Militay. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  21. ^ On the following page, go to the link for "Chaplains" and then click on the "USA Chaplains" link or the "CSA Chaplains" link."Home page". The National Civil War Chaplains Museum. http://www.chaplainsmuseum.org/i/?page_id=14. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
  22. ^ "Rev. Emmeran M. Bliemel – Hero of Battle of Jonesboro: 10th Tennessee Regiment: The first American Catholic Chaplain to die on the battlefield". The National Civil War Chaplains Museum. 2008. http://www.chaplainsmuseum.org/i/?p=544. Retrieved 2011-10-19. "Chaplain of the 10th Tennessee Regiment, he courageously and unselfishly ministered to the spiritual needs of all the wounded, both under fire and behind the lines. He died while giving the last rites to his Commanding Officer, Colonel William Grace. Rev. Bliemel also ministered to the men of the 4th Kentucky Regiment (the Orphan Brigade)." 
  23. ^ a b c On Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery is a monument for 83 Catholic chaplains who died in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
  24. ^ Milhomme, Bill (July 9, 2010). Fr. Thomas Conway: 65th Anniversary Sinking USS Indianapolis. "Lt. (Rev.) Thomas M. Conway, a 37-year-old Navy Chaplain ... was sleeping soundly on July 31, 1945, on board the USS Indianapolis ...." Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  25. ^ Announcement of the Father Thomas Conway Memorial (June 2006). USS Indianapolis Museum official website (in the left-hand column, click on "2006 Museum Activities"). Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  26. ^ FatherThomas Conway Memorial. ussindianapolis.org message board -> Photos -> FatherThomas Conway Memorial. October 23, 2007. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  27. ^ At the following webpage, scroll down to "Captain Herman G. Felhoelter • Korean War • 1914-1950". Centner, Pat. "No Greater Love: A Memorial Day Salute to Military Chaplains". American Family Association. http://afajournal.org/2003/may/503_chaplains_dw.html. Retrieved 2011-11-06. "A Catholic priest from Washington state, Chaplain Herman Felhoelter had been assigned to the U.S. Army’s 19th Infantry Regiment. .... Four days before his death, he had written his mother: 'Don’t worry, Mother. God’s will be done. I feel so good to know the power of your prayers accompanying me. ... I am happy in the thought that I can help some souls who need help. ...'" 
  28. ^ A Servant of God, Father Kapaun died in a POW camp and is being considered for posthumous awarding of the Medal of Honor. Milburn, John, "Army says Kansas Army chaplain Rev. Kapaun worthy of Medal of Honor for service in Korean War", Associated Press, October 13, 2009. Baltimore Sun website. Retrieved 2009-10-15. The article includes an undated photo (released by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita), showing Fr. Kapaun saying Mass in the field.
  29. ^ "Robert Raymond Brett". January 4, 2003 (updated November 13, 2010). http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BrettRR01a.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-28. "He was ordained in the Marist order in 1962 and enlisted in the Navy in 1967 .... LT Brett's name appears on the Philadelphia Viet Nam Memorial." 
  30. ^ "Robert Raymond Brett / Alexander Scheleph Chin". Arlington National Cemetery Website. Michael Robert Patterson. May 27, 1999 (updated August 20, 2006). http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/reunion2.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-28. 
  31. ^ At the following webpage, scroll down to "Lieutenant Robert R. Brett • Vietnam War • 1936-1968". Centner, Pat. "No Greater Love: A Memorial Day Salute to Military Chaplains". American Family Association. http://afajournal.org/2003/may/503_chaplains_dw.html. Retrieved 2011-11-06. "Born in Pennsylvania, Brett earned a B.A. and a master’s degree from Catholic University. [He] joined the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines near the Khe Sanh Combat Base in Vietnam. .... On February 22, 1968, [he] and his aide [PFC Alexander S. Chin] found themselves on an air strip in Khe Sanh ... when they came under enemy fire. ... Brett told the chopper to take off without him and his aide, which allowed Lt. Pete Post to go instead. ... [A]n incoming rocket struck, killing Brett, Chin and eight others. .... [In 1998 and 1999, their remains were moved to Arlington National Cemetery and] buried on Chaplain’s Hill ... – united in death as they had been in life." 

Further reading

Books
See: Military chaplain#Further reading
Internet

External links