MENLO PARK, CA – A record-high 38 prospective Catholic U.S. Military chaplains gathered at St. Patrick’s Seminary this past weekend for the annual spring discernment retreat for young men discerning a possible “vocation within a vocation” as both Catholic priests and military chaplains. The Vocations Office of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), holds two of these retreats each year—one in the spring on the West Coast and another in the fall on the East Coast—as part of its ongoing strategy to relieve a shortage of Catholic priests on active duty.
This year’s spring retreat, held April 9-12, was organized and directed by AMS Director of Vocations, Father Paul-Anthony Halladay, CH (MAJ), USA (Ret.), himself a retired veteran U.S. Army chaplain. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, took part in the four days of prayer, reflection, and dialogue, and he celebrated Holy Mass for those gathered.
Of the 38, 15 are considering a vocation as chaplains in the U.S. Air Force, eight in the Navy, and seven in the Army. Another eight are still discerning which branch of service they hope to join if ordained as priests. A team of priests gave talks, took part in group prayer and discussion, and provided spiritual guidance and counsel to the chaplain hopefuls. The team included priests from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and chaplain recruiters serving the three chaplain corps of the different service branches.
In talks, Father Halladay focused on the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program, a vocations partnership between the AMS and cooperating U.S. dioceses and religious communities willing to release a participating seminarian for military service after priestly ordination. Father Halladay further explained military procedures for chaplain candidacy. Father John Guyol, S.J., explored the process of discernment itself. Father Gary Thomas spoke on the spiritual fatherhood of Saint Joseph. Father David Hammond, CHC, LCDR, USN, shared insights on how military chaplains are spiritual fathers to those who serve. A panel of seminarians discussed the various steps on the vocational journey and reflected on their experience of seminary life. The inspirational stories of two U.S. Military chaplains now under consideration for sainthood were also shared. Father Rodrigo Ulloa, M.M., spoke on the life and heroic death in battle of Father Vincent R. Capodanno, Servant of God, in Vietnam, and Father Matthew Pawlikowski, CH (COL), USA (Ret.) shared how Venerable Father Emil Kapaun died a hero’s death in a Korean Prisoner-of-War camp.
The AMS will hold this year’s Fall Discernment Retreat from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2026, at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, MD. Young men interested in participating may contact Father Halladay at vocations@milarch.org or (202) 719-3600.