HISTORY OF THE MISSION OF THE AMS MESSAGE FROM THE The Archdiocese for the CHAPLAINCY The Archdiocese for the Services, , USA In the history of our country, Catholic priests have USA (AMS) was established by John Vatican II reminded all of us that Military Services served the American armed forces with distinction II in 1985 as the only organization every baptized Catholic is responsible and valor. Since the creation of the AMS in 1985, responsible for providing the Church’s full for the transmission of our to and previously through the military vicariate, priests range of pastoral ministries and spiritual the next generation. We fulfill that DISCERNMENT AND APPLICATION were released from U.S. and religious services to Catholics in the U.S. armed forces. mission by our daily witness of a AMSPROCEDURES: communities whose bishops and superiors recognized As the Nation’s only archdiocese without geographical lived faith in action, our involvement their collegial responsibility to “Serving Those Who Step1: Prayerfully seek the advice of your local boundaries, the AMS endorses and grants faculties to in catechetical programs, our sincere prayers, and Serve”. The heroic deeds of Catholic military or Catholic military . If you are a priests for on-site ministry at more than 220 U.S. military our encouragement of vocations to the priesthood, called to battle in defense of the Nation seminarian, discuss your interest and discernment installations in 29 countries and 153 VA Medical Centers religious life, or consecrated service. comprise one of the most glorious chapters in regarding the military chaplaincy with your formation throughout the U.S. Therefore, we are all vocation promoters! In the director and bishop or religious . Follow their American Church history. The long list of those Archdiocese for the Military Services we fulfill that directions. who gave their lives in service to God and Country role principally by encouraging young people to stands as a shining tribute. CURRENT SITUATION Step : consider a specific vocation and by the Co-Sponsored 2 With their permission contact the AMS As aging Catholic priests reach the military’s mandatory Director of Vocations. You will then be asked to While a Catholic military chaplain remains Seminarian Program. incardinated in his home or religious retirement age of 62 faster than they can be replaced, our complete a survey which provides personal, academic, Almighty God has blessed this Archdiocese with at ecclesiastical, and military information about yourself. community, the Archbishop grants him endorsement Nation’s armed forces are in growing need of younger men answering God’s call. The number of active-duty chaplains least a 10% annual contribution to priestly ordinations On the basis of information gathered, specific guidance and faculties to function as a military priest-chaplain. will be offered to you by the AMS Office of Vocations. has fallen from more than 400 in 2001 to fewer than 200 today. in the USA. That statement provokes both pride and While Catholics make up about 25% of the U.S. armed commitment. The commitment obliges us to continue Director of Vocations forces, Catholic priests currently account for only 8% of the fostering of vocations and the support of the fine Phone: 202-719-3600 military chaplains. young men studying in the seminary. Email: [email protected] www.milarch.org/vocations The Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program was set up between Thank you in advance for meeting the commitment. the AMS and cooperating U.S. dioceses and religious Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, Step 3: Attend one of the two annual vocation communities to replenish the ranks of Catholic priests both discernment retreats sponsored by the AMS. This Father Luke Dundon celebrates Holy aboard in the U.S. military and throughout the Church by supporting USS Bonhomme Richard, Easter Sunday, 2016. retreat will give you the opportunity to meet with vocations drawn largely from the armed forces. the AMS Director of Vocations and military priest- An annual vocations survey found that nearly 10% of newly The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio chaplains from the different branches of service to learn more about the rewards and challenges of serving “We hold no small hope in you, dear ordained U.S. priests have previous military experience and Archbishop for the Military Services, USA both God and your country. Son, who desired so ardently to look about 20% come from military families, making the AMS the largest single source of American priestly vocations. No after the spiritual needs of your fellow Step 4: If a mutual decision has been made between wonder! Both the military and the priesthood require many you and your bishop or religious superior giving you St. John XXIII of the same virtues, including valor, discipline and Italian Army Chaplain, citizens, that you enlisted in the permission to be a Co-Sponsored seminarian chaplain commitment to service. candidate, you will then be invited to apply for the military services a second time so as Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program on our website at: The Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program enables men, who www.milarch.org/vocations. to dedicate yourself, even at the risk show evidence of a vocation to priestly ministry in the military, of your own life, to ensuring that to receive financial support for seminary from both the AMS and their local dioceses or religious communities. Once the rchdiocese for the the faithful serving to defend your A new priest is ordained and has completed three (3) years of Military Services, USA country might not be deprived of the priestly pastoral service in his diocese or community, he will be eligible to serve on active duty as a military chaplain. Image on Front Cover: Mural by John Cannino, AMS Edwin spiritual food they need to survive.” Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center , Washington, DC –– Francis to Bishop-elect Chad Zielinski, 2020-2021 CO-SPONSORED elected to Fairbanks, 2014 www.milarch.org/vocations SEMINARIAN PROGRAM MILITARY CHAPLAIN’S VOCATION MILITARY TRAINING Military chaplaincy is a “vocation within a vocation”. It The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA Co-Sponsored Program Seminarians entering major seminary are expected to is a priestly ministry to people in military service to their CO-SPONSORED SEMINARIANS enter the military chaplain candidate program during country. Pope Benedict XVI told an October 22, 2011 their theological training. Seminarians are free to choose international meeting of Military Ordinaries that, any one of the three military service branches in which to serve (Army; Navy, which includes ministry to all of “The work of evangelization in the military world the Sea Services; or Air Force). Upon entrance into the

chaplain candidate program the seminarian will be calls for a growing assumption of responsibility, commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant or Ensign in his

so that, in this sphere, there may always be a new, chosen branch of service. As a chaplain candidate, Rev. Mr. Jason Allan Darren Balkey Kazimir Biesaida Rev. Mr. Garrett Braun Rev. Mr. David Campo David Chacko Paul Collins Will Cook Rev. Mr. Patrick Costello James Craig Rev. Mr. Anthony Davis convinced and joyful proclamation of Jesus Christ, the seminarian will be granted opportunities to engage Fort Worth Charlotte Oklahoma City Evansville Boston San Antonio Los Angeles Savannah Green Bay Corpus Christi Denver the only hope of life and peace for humanity.” Navy Navy Navy Air Force Navy Army Navy Navy Navy Army Navy in military training or pastoral ministry under the supervision of a senior military chaplain on a military As a sacramental minister, the military priest-chaplain installation or naval vessel. brings Christ and the healing presence of the Church to The chaplain candidate program gives the seminarian a women and men serving in an endless range of stressful, taste of what ministry as a military chaplain would be like dangerous, and often life-threatening circumstances. He by providing him essential training, which informs his must be prepared to transfer from homeland ministry to discernment. Through the program, the military provides ministry in a war zone on a moment’s notice and act as seminarians with the discipline and leadership skills to comforter to service members and their families in a way Patrick DiLoreto Erin Donlon Bradley Easterbrooks Zachary Glick Ray Goins Jacob Gwynn Rev. Mr. Madison Hayes Armando Herrera-DosReis Rev. Mr. Edward Hoffmann Alexander Houston Stephen Hughes Colorado Springs Portland San Diego Gary Arlington Venice Anchorage Richmond Cincinnati Knoxville Cincinnati meet the physical and mental demands of military few others will ever experience. Army Navy Navy Air Force Army Navy Air Force Army Army Army Air Force chaplaincy, while enhancing their formation experience Providing for the spiritual and sacramental needs of men in the seminary and ministry as Catholic priests. and women in uniform is an essential task, and Catholic Upon ordination to the priesthood, all Co-Sponsored military priest-chaplains are in higher demand now chaplain candidates are expected to serve as chaplains than ever before. Christ needs men to answer the call to in the Reserve until entrance into active duty. The AMS the chaplaincy for the good of the Church, the country, requires all newly ordained priests to serve at least three and the world. (3) years in their home diocese or religious community before joining the military full time. SEMINARY TRAINING Brian Jacobson Jeffrey Jones Rev. Mr. Michael Kapolka Matthew Kurt Andrew Lane Caleb Magowan Joshua Miller Michael Nugent Colin Patrick Freddy Rodriguez Michael Sampson Kansas City Austin Cincinnati Detroit Philadelphia Arlington Fairbanks Arlington Atlanta New Orleans Arlington For men currently in the armed forces, after initial Air Force Army Air Force Army Navy Army Army Navy Army Navy Navy WHO IS ELIGIBLE? screening by the AMS, the military service member will Any single Catholic young man who is a US citizen with be put in contact with a local diocese or religious community college experience who shows signs of having a vocation participating in the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program. to priestly ministry, can meet the academic requirements The candidate must satisfy the vocational, psychological, for seminary training, and qualifies for military service is academic, and spiritual evaluations of the local diocese eligible to apply. or community. This normally requires personal interviews A candidate must be able to enter active duty before age 42. with the local vocation director and members of an admissions Adjustments on the entry age may be made for those board. Upon acceptance, the candidate will attend a seminary Rev. Mr. Andrew Sanchez Paul Sizemore Peter St. George Rev. Mr. Callan Sweeney Brent Thayer Br. Matthew Tomeny, MIC Carlos Warfield Charles Wilton New Orleans Charleston Arlington Austin Nashville Congregation of Marian Fathers of Monterey Arlington with military service as long as the total number of chosen by the local bishop or religious superior. Army Air Force Navy Army Air Force the Immaculate Conception Army Navy Navy years of military service can equal twenty years or more. If you are currently a seminarian, you must first discuss CO-SPONSORED PRIESTS ORDAINED IN 2018-20 your interest in the military chaplaincy with your formation director and bishop or religious superior; follow his directions.

Rev. Joseph Baltz Rev. Stephen Booth Rev. Daniel Duplantis Rev. James Dvorak Rev. Matthew Faucett Rev. Miguel Flores-Perez Rev. Vincent Gillmore Rev. Tyler Harris Rev. Jay Horning Rev. Sean Koehr Rev. Adam Marchese Rev. Timothy Mergen Rev. John Michael Metz Rev. Benjamin Pitre Rev. Christopher Yakkel Santa Fe Fall River Houma-Thibodaux Victoria Green Bay Austin Indianapolis Monterey Fort Wayne-South Bend Arlington Orlando Madison Atlanta Lafayette Columbus Army Navy Air Force Navy Army Army Air Force Air Force Army Navy Army Air Force Army Navy Air Force