A recent message indicated that 2009 had the highest number of suicides for any given year in the Army. I’d like to know what you think are the causes of this sad reality. Tell me what you think!... Read more here

Father Giuseppe Moretti heads a Catholic congregation in a most unusual location. Father Moretti, age 71, is the only Roman Catholic priest in Afghanistan. His congregation meets in a small white building inside the Italian Embassy in Kabul.

According to the Vatican, there are just 250 Catholics in Afghanistan. Father Moretti said about 150 people regularly attend Mass inside the embassy. All are members of the international community. He recalled that Gen. Dan McNeil, former commander of U.S. forces and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, was among the regular Mass attendees.... Read more here

Recently I interviewed Chaplain (Captain) Timothy Meier over the phone as he serves in Iraq. He is a Roman Catholic priest, a Jesuit, who is originally from the Detroit area.

Father Meier has spent a lot of time in school. In addition to his theological training, he holds a doctorate in Molecular Neuro Biology and works with the Undergraduate Biology Honors program at Stanford University. He helps out with local Catholic parishes and for the past couple of years has served with the California Army National Guard. That is what brought him to Iraq.
It’s clear to me that Fr. Meier is a dedicated man who takes his calling seriously, all the while appreciating others around him. He spoke so highly of his chaplain assistant, SFC McGee, as they together form a pastoral team to visit often neglected troops “outside the wire.”... Read more here