Catholic priest shortage impacts Hill AFB

  • Published
  • By George F. Jozens
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  For more than a decade, the Air Force has experienced a decline in the number of Roman Catholic priests serving in the active duty component.

The shortage will be noticed at Hill AFB with a new prioritization of assignments for all Air Force priests. The reorganization will move Hill's currently assigned Roman Catholic chaplain and leave a vacancy here.

The priest shortage has now placed them in what the Air Force considers a High Demand/Low Density (HD/LD) career field.

In a recent letter to commanders, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Air Force Chief of Staff, outlined the strategy of assigning Catholic chaplains. It stated that though well intentioned, the current program has not resulted in the robust pastoral care of Airmen and their families it intended to, nor has it provided for the training, development and retention of chaplains required.

Last October, the CSAF decided to better care for Airmen and chaplains HD/LD chaplains are now being assigned to the following priorities:
  • Warfighter and deployment support;
  • Overseas (OCONUS) installations;
  • Training bases where Airmen are restricted to their training location;
  • Continental United States (CONUS) installations where there are limited or no local resources;
  • Career development positions.
"Although the Air Force will move Chaplain (Capt.) Cyriacus "CY" Onyejegbu to another assignment later this year, we will work with the local Roman Catholic diocese and keep our Catholic community informed of their worship options," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Sherrol James, base chaplain. "It is my duty, responsibility and privilege to ensure all of Team Hill's people have the opportunity to worship in their chosen faith."

In addition, the CSAF is concerned with ensuring the best spiritual care for today's Airmen. "Ensuring Airmen are able to practice their faith and have access to the spiritual care our chaplains provide is important to me," said Welsh. "I call upon each of you (commanders) for your support and cooperation as we implement this assignment strategy."

The Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Howard D. Stendahl, is also encouraging local chapels to have understanding during this national shortage of military priests.

"The prioritization is based on Air Force needs and our mission to fly, fight and win, in air, space and cyber," Stendahl said. "We exist as an Air Force to provide forces to Combatant Commanders (COCOMs); hence our top priority is to support requests for forces from these commanders and to warriors deployed in place under COCOM authority. Our second priority is to support Airmen and their families in OCONUS locations where they have limited or no options for spiritual care and religious freedoms outside the installation.

Next, we must care for Airmen in training where they are restricted to their training location, followed by CONUS locations with limited opportunities for Catholic Airmen. Finally, it remains our responsibility to Catholic chaplains to provide for their career development, and we will do so."

Hill AFB has the fourth priority of the eight Air Force Materiel Command bases in the CONCUS. Team Hill's chaplains are researching local alternative options for the Catholic members at Hill. The list of alternative worship locations will be published in another issue of the Hilltop Times, as well as on the base's social media sites.