Navy chaplain on duty in the Albany Diocese

Father Aguilera, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander, is a Navy chaplain currently serving as a recruiter in Scotia. The Texas native was ordained a priest for the Diocese of El Paso, TX, where he also served as vocations director until joining the Navy.

He has served as chaplain for Marines in Okinawa, Japan; and ministered to cadets at the U.S. Naval Academy and families at Arlington National Cemetery. He visited the Persian Gulf, Bahrain and the Baltic states during tours of duty on the hospital ship USNS Comfort and the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy.

Awestruck

While Father Aguilera serves Catholics, not all of his parishioners share the faith. Some have never been inside a church. He says that ministry to these people is one of his greatest joys. Among other duties, he is responsible for securing a rabbi to celebrate with Jewish sailors during the High Holy Days, being a listening ear for Protestant sailors, and celebrating Eucharist and hearing the confessions of Catholics.

"You evangelize by going around, visiting [sailors], talking to them," he said. "They see that you care. They start asking you about your faith. The kids are open to the Lord if you just open to them. If you accept them where they are, and love them, they'll come. They'll come in droves."

Cast of thousands

In many ways, the "captive audience" of a Naval vessel at sea provides chaplains with a opportunity for evangelization that other priests never see, Father Aguilera said. During one six-month deployment, he saw 37 sailors complete the RCIA program and become Catholic.

"Thirty-seven people who had never gone to church were baptized, confirmed, and made their First Communion," he marveled. "That's what's unique."

The servicemen and women he works with consistently break the rough-and-tumble stereotype that sometimes precedes them in the eyes of civilians, he said.

"Military people are very loving and friendly because they get moved around so much. They want to make friends real quick. They're outgoing and friendly, and they always want to help. That's what I, as a priest, get to see."

Danger

In New York, Aguilera found himself walking a battleground, anointing the body parts of victims and counseling rescue workers.

"I wasn't 50 feet from the debris," he recalled. "It was horrible. Every time they would remove a layer of debris, the trapped oxygen would reignite. It was hot. The concrete had just been crushed. And papers [were] everywhere. At the time, we didn't know what was going to happen."

Should the United States declare war on Iraq, he explained, military chaplains would continue to accompany their parishioners into battle, and sometimes beyond.

"When they hit the beach, we're there with them," Father Aguilera said, adding that "the last thing anyone in the military wants is war."

Always faithful

While chaplain-candidate programs are available for seminarians who feel called to serve in the Armed Forces, the Navy does not commission chaplains outright. Instead, said Father Aguilera, "they want a priest to come in with as much experience as possible." That often means five years must be served in a pastoral setting before the priest can serve on a ship.

After being ordained in their home dioceses, prospective Navy chaplains are "released" by their bishops into the military archdiocese. After they retire or leave the armed forces, priests return to their home dioceses.

Among friends

Father Aguilera has already filled in for sick and vacationing priests at a number of diocesan parishes, including St. Teresa of Avila in Albany. He was astounded by how many parishioners introduced themselves as former servicemen. He has also met quite a few people from the Albany area in his journeys.

"When I am out there, and I meet people from the diocese of Albany, I'm ministering to them," he said of his Naval duty, "and taking care of people from your diocese as well as mine."

(12-12-02) [[In-content Ad]]