WASHINGTON, DC — Scouts and other children, pre-teens, teens, and even adults now have the opportunity to earn a Father Capodanno Activity Patch. The round patch, bearing the name and image of Vietnam War hero and Servant of God Father Vincent R. Capodanno, MM, CHC, LT, USN (1929-1967), has been authorized by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA. The Coat of Arms of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), appears on the patch alongside Father Capodanno’s image.
Father Capodanno, a Maryknoll missionary-turned-Navy-chaplain from Staten Island, NY, died at the age of 38 in Vietnam’s Quế Sơn Valley on Sept. 4, 1967, as he braved a hail of bullets while rushing—unarmed—to the aid of embattled U.S. Marines wounded and dying under ambush as they carried out Operation Swift against the North Vietnamese Army. Father Capodanno posthumously received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military commendation, for his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”
Father Capodanno is remembered as the “grunt padre” because of his camaraderie with the enlistees or “grunts” who fought on the frontlines and for whom he laid down his life, living out the meaning of Christ’s teaching: “No one has greater love than this, to lay one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). The Cause for the Canonization of Father Capodanno has been introduced.
To earn the Father Capodanno Patch, children, pre-teens, teens, or adults must complete a combination of requirements and activities that vary according to age group. For details, visit www.milarch.org/scouting/.
While anyone may earn the Father Capodanno Patch upon completion of the prerequisites, the decoration is intended primarily for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Heritage Girls, Troops of St. George, and their adult leaders. “Even though challenged by some contemporary ideologies, scouting provides programs that effectively contribute toward the implementation of a comprehensive approach to Catholic youth ministry,” Archbishop Broglio said. “Young people need the guidance of happy, healthy, and holy adult role models willing to share their faith in both word and action.”
The AMS Catholic Committee on Scouting developed the patch along with the preconditions for earning it. The committee did so by collaborating with the Father Capodanno Guild for the purpose of building awareness of Father Capodanno’s Cause for Canonization and the sacrifices he made while serving those who served in Vietnam.
For more information on the Father Capodanno Patch, visit www.milarch.org/scouting/.