ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY SERVICES, USA

(Redirected from Archdiocese for the Military Services)
The 'Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services', also called the 'Military Ordinariate of the United States', provides the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral and spiritual services to those serving in the United States armed forces or other federal services overseas. This military ordinariate is a special diocese canonically erected by Pope Pius XII in 1939 for members and others employed by the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy.
Its Ordinary is the Archbishop for the Military Services; currently the See is vacant. When the position is occupied, the Archbishop is assisted by several auxiliary bishops which oversee chaplain priests serving throughout the world. The seat of Archdiocese is Washington, DC, where the Archdiocese maintains its offices.

Contents

History

Prelature

Ordinaries

Auxiliary bishops

Resources

History

Before its elevation to a full archdiocese, the armed forces of the United States was served by an informal corps of volunteer priests. Their work dates back to the colonial era of American history, through the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War, World War I and World War II. What would later become the apostolic vicariate of the military, popes began choosing bishops to oversee military chaplains since the appointment of Bishop Patrick Hayes (later Cardinal) as papal military vicar for the United States on November 24, 1917.

Prelature

Ordinaries

★ Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Apostolic Vicar (24 November, 1917-10 March, 1919)

★ John Francis O'Hara, CSC, Apostolic Vicar (11 December, 1939-10 March, 1945)

★ Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop for the Military Services (11 December, 1939-2 December, 1967)

★ Terence Cardinal Cooke, Archbishop for the Military Services (4 April, 1968-6 October, 1983)

★ John Joseph Thomas Ryan, Archbishop for the Military Services (16 March, 1985-14 May, 1991)

★ Joseph Thomas Dimino, Archbishop for the Military Services (14 May, 1991-12 August, 1997)

★ Edwin Frederick O'Brien, Archbishop for the Military Services (12 August, 1997-12 July, 2007)

★ ''sede vacante'' (12 July, 2007-present)

Auxiliary bishops

★ William Tibertus McCarty, C.SS.R. (1943 - 1947)

★ William Richard Arnold (1945 - 1965)

★ James Henry Ambrose Griffiths (1949 - 1955)

★ Philip Joseph Furlong (1955 - 1971)

★ William Joseph Moran (1965 - 1981)

★ James Jerome Killeen (1975 - 1978)

★ John Joseph O'Connor (1979 - 1983)

★ Lawrence Joyce Kenney (1983 - 1990)

★ Angelo Thomas Acerra, O.S.B. (1983 - 1990)

★ Joseph Thomas Dimino (1983 - 1991)

★ Francis Xavier Roque (1983 - 2004)

★ John Gavin Nolan (1987 - 1997)

★ John Joseph Glynn (1991 - 2002)

★ José de Jesús Madera Uribe, M.Sp.S. (1991 - 2004)

★ John Joseph Kaising (2000 - 2007)

★ Joseph Walter Estabrook (2004 - Present)

★ Richard Brendan Higgins (2004 - Present)

Resources

★ Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services