By Father Garrett Braun
From Fields Afar
Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno was first inspired to the priesthood by a publication of the Maryknoll Society known as the “The Field Afar.” Attracted to the life of holiness, sacrifice and adventure of the missionary priests he read about, Father Vincent discerned a calling to join their community himself and was ordained a priest in 1958. After several years of missionary work, Father Capodanno pursued a calling to become a different kind missionary . . . serving American service members as a Navy Chaplain during the Vietnam War.
Affectionately nicknamed the “Grunt Padre” by those he served, Father Capodanno was regarded for his holiness and willingness to sacrifice right alongside his troops. This culminated on Sept. 4, 1967, when he was killed ministering to the wounded on a battlefield. Like our LORD, Father Capodanno laid down his life so that others may live. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1969, his cause for canonization was opened in 2002 and he was proclaimed a Servant of God in 2006. A 2019 film chronicling Father Capodanno’s life and ministry, “The Field Afar,” took the same name as the Maryknoll magazine that first inspired him to discern priesthood as a boy.
This month, I have begun Active Duty service as an Air Force Chaplain, and I will be sharing my own reflections through a monthly column in The Message, of which this is the first! To pay homage to those who have gone before, I’ve adapted the name of this column to be “From Fields Afar.” I give thanks for God’s grace that has allowed men like Father Capodanno, Father Emil Kapaun, Father Joseph Lafleur and our diocese’s very own Father Jim Endress to serve our nation and God’s Church in a saintly way. It is my hope to not only borrow the name but also to emulate the holiness of these men who have served so admirably.
Since my ordination June 5, 2021, I have served as one of the associate pastors at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Vincennes and St. Philip Neri Parish in Bicknell. During this same time, I have also been serving as Air Force Reserve chaplain. Now that I have gained a few years of ministry experience in our Diocese, Bishop Siegel has temporarily released me to the Archdiocese for the Military Services to fulfill my five year minimum Active Duty service commitment to the Air Force.
On July 1, I reported to my first duty station at Aviano Air Base, Italy. I am excited for this opportunity and have an incredible sense of fulfilling God’s unique calling in my priestly life! At the same time, I am sad to have left two incredible parish com-munities at St. Francis Xavier and St. Philip Neri. I ask for your prayers in this time of transition! It is my goal with this article to share the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and my perspective as a priest serving those who serve beyond the geographical confines of our diocese. Hence the name — From Fields Afar!
Father Braun can be reached at gbraun@evdio.org.