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The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, celebrated its 40th anniversary July 21 with an appeal for donations to Team Saint Paul (TSP), a ministry that supports young active-duty Catholics.
The archdiocese stated in an emailed news release that TSP is a network of Catholic laity who are sent by the archdiocese to different military bases, focused on walking in faith with military members aged 18-29. Currently, there are six members divided between Travis Air Force Base in California and Fort Campbell in Kentucky. In the fall, more members will join TSP, with some missionaries sent to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
According to the archdiocese’s fundraising website, TSP missionaries help active-duty members’ faith by “fostering a sense of belonging and inspiring missionary discipleship among young adults in the military” while also “facilitating transformative encounters with Christ.” This is the fourth year the archdiocese has supported TSP through its AMS Day of Giving fundraiser.
The archdiocese noted that it is not funded by the military or the government and does not have parishes in which to do weekly collections, meaning that it is reliant on generosity from private donations. Its fundraising goal is $80,000, with the first $30,500 received matched by a group of donors. As of the time of publication, more than $36,000 has been raised.
“Your contributions, regardless of size, hold the potential to significantly impact the pastoral care of service members and their families, perpetuating a legacy of faith and community within the military,” the archdiocese stated on its website.
CatholicVote previously reported that the archdiocese has been growing in recent years, with two seminarians on the path to military chaplaincy ordained to the transitional diaconate in May. CatholicVote also reported that one of the archdiocese’s most recent fundraisers, its annual benefit in Washington, DC, broke records in November for attendance and donations.
More information on donating to the archdiocese and supporting TSP is available here.
