Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // A discernment retreat for prospective military chaplains drew 37 candidates this year, the highest number of attendees in the retreat’s history. The group included soldiers, cadets, civilians, and a religious brother.
As CatholicVote previously reported, the AMS is currently serving from a scarcity of chaplaincy vocations, as 25% of U.S. Armed Forces members are Catholic, but only 7% of chaplains are priests.
Each year, as part of its effort to relieve this shortage, the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) holds two retreats for potential chaplains: one in the fall on the East Coast and one in the spring on the West Coast, according to an emailed AMS press release.
In fall 2024, 10 seminarians became chaplains for AMS, CatholicVote reported.
This year, AMS held its spring discernment retreat April 3-6 at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California. Father Paul-Anthony Halladay, who recently became the vocations director for AMS, hosted the retreat.
“By all reports from our participants, it was indeed a success,” Fr. Halladay said. “I have had conversations with some of those participants who have left the retreat even more certain of their calling to priesthood and chaplaincy. You could not ask for better results. The Holy Spirit was engaged, active and in all ways operative in the hearts, minds, and souls of all those who attended.”
The retreat included 16 cadets and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) members and 14 active duty members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. There were also seven civilians and one Marian religious brother discerning the call. The men were from over 25 dioceses from the United States.
The AMS Archbishop Timothy Broglio also participated in the retreat and offered Mass for the men attending.
Current military chaplains gave talks on topics ranging from spiritual fatherhood to discernment. Some made speeches highlighting the heroism of Vietnam War hero Father Vincent R. Capodanno and Korean War hero Venerable Father Emil J. Kapaun.
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The fall discernment retreat will take place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland.
