Memorial Day Memories | May 24, 2022
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Memorial Day Memories | May 24, 2022

As Americans, we should be proud of the men and women who serve to protect our freedoms and offer them our thanks. We should understand that there were those who paid the ultimate price, and for them, we should offer our prayers.

Archbishop Listecki


Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

 

As Memorial Day approaches, I’m reminded how rarely three weeks go by that I am not contacted by someone whom I served with during my time associated with the military. I backed into my involvement with the Armed Forces, and so as a bishop, I readily support priests who have a special ministerial desire to serve in the military.

I was in Rome enrolled in graduate studies when a fellow priest who was in the military invited me to serve. I informed him that I would be glad to assist, but my own archbishop was not prone to grant time for military service. Like all bishops, he saw a need for priests in the archdiocese. However, little did I realize that he had already contacted the Archbishop of the Military Ordinariate, who was a personal friend of my archbishop. So, when I returned home from Rome, I was called in to the Chancery and told to report to Fifth Army for a physical.

In one sense, I was glad to be of service. Many of my grammar school classmates and cousins served in Vietnam. I was in the seminary at the time and therefore was exempt. This allowed me to pay back those who paid the price.

Continuing my further studies in Rome, I was informed of my acceptance and took the oath of service in the American Rome Embassy in 1981. While in Rome, I travelled several times to Germany to offer services to our troops stationed in Schweinfurt and the surrounding barracks.

There is something unique about the Catholic Military Chapels. Many military personnel and their families would come in and out of assignments. At the normal Military Chapel, the entire congregation could change completely in three to four years. So, many hit the ground running, wanting to waste no time in engaging parish life.   

As a chaplain, I was called upon to minister not only to Catholics, but the entire military community. I offered scripture services for members of the Protestant communities and any others who wanted to join. I remember a captain who was Buddhist marching his entire battalion over to a scripture presentation that I was offering. When I asked him why he did this, his response was simple, “Because a relationship with the Divine builds character, and I want my troops to embody the type of character that I can depend upon in times of crisis.”

When I returned from my studies in Rome, again I had no intention of continuing my military service. However, the need for Catholic chaplains was great, and so I was assigned to assist the 327th Military Police located at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. Later, I served the 244th Aviation Unit at Glenview Naval Airbase, the 86th ARCOM, 85th Training Division and lastly the 300th Medical Unit. In 2004, I retired after 23 years of service. I was an active reservist when I was named a bishop. It was a unique situation.

I can attest to you the great integrity of the men and women with whom I served. A patriot is one who loves his or her country. These were patriots. We worked together knowing that we were serving to support and uphold the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens of our country.

The Afghanistan withdrawal presented an especially difficult time for me. I felt terrible for the military who were trapped in that horrible situation. I know that our troops have a great sensitivity for the people of the country to which they are assigned. It was a sad moment for our military and our country.

As Americans, we should be proud of the men and women who serve to protect our freedoms and offer them our thanks. We should understand that there were those who paid the ultimate price, and for them, we should offer our prayers.

I love our country and know that we are blessed. However, we can become complacent about the need to defend our country. If this happens, we risk losing the gift of our uniqueness as a people and the freedoms we enjoy. The military understands following commands, and so should we when the Lord gives us a new commandment to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 
 

Note: This blog originally appeared as the May 24, 2022 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.

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