As a youth, I was raised Catholic, attended Nativity elementary school (now Saint Peter) and Benedictine Military School, and engaged in numerous church and service opportunities associated with the Catholic church be it as an altar boy, member of the youth group, or other need of the church. I was serious about deepening my faith and as a Boy Scout, was recognized for this faith journey through the award of the Ad Altare Dei medal.
This volunteer service waned in college as Sunday was the only day I could try to address the significant sleep deprivation common at West Point at this time. I would note that many of my classmates were able to maintain their faith journey as a cadet at West Point – I slept and might make one Mass a month. Normally I was late.
After graduation and marriage, I resumed my service to the Catholic Church serving in a plethora of roles including lector, usher, Sunday school coordinator, parish council member, parish treasurer and special events cast member. Much to the dismay of our children, we were often the first to arrive and last to depart Mass as I had some role in the service. I attended Catholic Mass in English, Italian, French, and Dutch depending on what was available while deployed or in a combat zone. Oftentimes while deployed, Catholic mass was not offered and I would attend a related Christian service. At West Point, this engagement deepened as we lived across the street from Most Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel and we volunteered for a number of activities to support the parish. My West Point schedule was such that I could often attend daily mass and then grab a quick lunch at the house. For the majority of my life, I have volunteered and served others as part of my faith journey.
This service has ended as I have significant challenges with the Catholic church on a number of issues including their handling of the priest sex abuse scandal, Vatican financial scandal, women rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and abortion. I realize that the Catholic church has a rich history of being 100% wrong and may eventually correct its excesses in power and privilege but at this point it is not part of my faith or service journey. I do pray for the Catholic Church as it is in need of prayer, reflection, and reform. My spiritual journey continues to imitate Christ and treat others with compassion, dignity, respect and love.
As an aside, the title of this section comes from The Imitation of Christ, a 1416 book by Thomas Kempis. It is a hard book to read but one that resonates with me. I carried a copy of the book into combat with me gifted to me by Sarah Goss upon my deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. The adobe firefly generated art at the top of this page captures the innocence and faith of my youth.