WASHINGTON, DC – The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), availed itself of the Solemnity of Christ the King, the final Sunday of the liturgical year, to support the evangelization efforts in the military. At the same time its 2022 National Collection campaign was kicked off. The collection, to be taken up in Catholic parishes throughout the United States at weekend Masses Nov. 5-6, 2022, will support pastoral care and ministry to Catholic families stationed worldwide in the U.S. Military and Catholic patients in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers throughout the country.
On Saturday night at the AMS’s 13th Annual Benefit, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, hosted nearly 250 AMS supporters and benefactors at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, DC. Among guests were active-duty and retired senior military officers, their spouses, Catholic U.S. Military chaplains and other clergy, and seminarians. A reception and dinner followed the celebration of Holy Mass in observance of the Solemnity of Christ the King.
In his homily at the opening Mass, based on John 18:33b-37, wherein Pontius Pilate asks Christ if he is King of the Jews, Archbishop Broglio preached in part:
“Recognition of the Kingship of Christ leads us to take a stand for the truth, the whole truth. Pilate had difficulty understanding the concept of truth, because his world was bound up in achieving a successful career by adjusting the situation to fit that goal. Truth tends to rock that boat.
“We hold that ‘what a person believes interiorly must be lived out in his or her actions.’ (Daniel H. Mueggenborg, Come Follow Me B, p. 333.) While faith is nurtured in the depths of our hearts, it is never purely personal. It must be lived out in our actions. If someone were to put us on trial for being a citizen of the Kingdom of God—what evidence could be brought? Would the prosecutor have a good case? Is there good reason for the charge? (Cf. Ibid, p. 334.)”
Read the full text of Archbishop Broglio’s homily. Watch the video.
Although the Annual Benefit concluded with a sit-down dinner, it’s not too late to make a gift. Donations remain gratefully accepted at www.milarch.org/annual-benefit.
The 2022 National Collection will be the fourth such collection since 2013 after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a national special collection to be taken the Sunday before Veterans Day every three years to benefit the AMS. Proceeds support the ministry of Catholic U.S. Military and VA chaplains serving with AMS endorsement and faculties and a bustling set of AMS programs and offices including Vocations, Evangelization, Religious Education, Sacramental Records, a Tribunal, and Veterans Affairs.
The U.S. Department of Defense requires all military chaplains to receive the endorsement of a recognized church or religious organization. The AMS is the only entity with authority to endorse Catholic chaplains. A message in the program for the Annual Benefit notes: “Without the AMS, there would be no Catholic Chaplains.”
“Since the first collection in 2013,” the message explains, “with subsequent collections in 2016 and 2019, the National Collection for the AMS in 2022 will provide another opportunity for faithful throughout the United States to support Catholic military service members and their families actively and show respect for the military chaplaincy. Support for the National Collection for the AMS acknowledges the consequential need for the availability of the sacraments and pastoral care for Catholic military men and women who hail from all 50 states and U.S. territories, and recognizes their service, their sacrifice, and the importance of the ability to practice their faith in maintaining spiritual resiliency. AMS faithful in military chapel communities also have the opportunity to participate through a designated offering the weekend of November 6, 2022.”
The AMS receives no government or military funding and is not allowed to take up regular collections at Sunday Mass on military installations or warships. Consequently, the AMS relies entirely on private giving. The 2022 Special Collection is a way for American Catholics to pitch in. For more information, including links to diocesan and parish resources, ways to promote the collection, and the list of participating (arch) dioceses, go to www.milarch.org/nationalcollection.
In sum, the AMS is offering a variety of ways to give in support of her mission, Serving Those Who Serve:
- It’s not too late to donate to the 13th Annual Benefit. Donate at www.milarch.org/annual-benefit.
- Find out more about the 2022 Special Collection at www.milarch.org/nationalcollection.
- Donate year-round at www.milarch.org/donate/.
