Image source: Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
CV NEWS FEED // The Archdiocese for the Military Services has added new members to “Team Saint Paul,” a mission dedicated to engaging young adult members of the U.S. Military and bringing the Catholic faith to those serving the nation.
According to a September 23 press release from the Archdiocese for the Military, Archbishop for Military Services Timothy P. Broglio created the team in 2021, with the mission “to live full-time near a U.S. Military installation and regularly engage those who serve, accompanying them on journeys of faith and conversion.”
On September 13, 2024, Archbishop Broglio commissioned three new members during a Mass at the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center, the Archdiocese’s “home base.”
Of the new members, Noah Mize, a former Marine from Colorado, and Peter Bockrath, a recent graduate from Thomas Aquinas College in California, will be stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, joining veteran members Caroline McDermott and Regina Fontana. Juliana Gahr, a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., will be stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California with veteran Jurate Reventas.
The press release shared that the new members will learn from the veterans at their respective bases, where they have spent the last year building relationships with servicemen and women by supporting their faith through “participating in Mass and receiving the sacraments together, starting Bible studies and catechetical sessions, and building Christian fellowship with social and recreational activities such as rock climbing and line dancing.”
“It is a great blessing and honor ‘to serve those who serve’ in a new and radical way,” Gahr stated, according to the press release. “By the graces of God, I pray that I am able to be a witness to His love and accompany others in their adventure with Christ.”
Bockrath said, “This role of missionary for the active duty service members is really important because it allows us to provide a first-hand witness to the full, happy, and beautiful life that one can have through loving the heart of Jesus.”
“It is imperative that the Catholic Church gets this witness out to the people who are willing to serve and especially those willing to give their lives for something bigger than themselves,” he added.
The press release shared that the Archdiocese plans to expand Team Saint Paul to additional military installations in the coming years and is seeking applicants.
According to the Associate Director for Missionary Discipleship McKenzie Mauss, applicants for the full-time ministry position should have “the ability to communicate well with others, good interpersonal skills, and self-motivation.”
Interested parties can find more information here.
