Priest promoted to brigadier general

A priest of the Albany Diocese who has been a military chaplain since 1990 has been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army.

Rev. Donald Rutherford is currently Command Chaplain for troops in Europe, overseeing 146 chaplains and assistants. Once his promotion is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he will begin a new assignment: U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Chaplains in Washington, D.C.

With his new title, he will be the second-highest-ranking chaplain and the highest-ranking Catholic priest in the Army.

Spread thin

"Twenty-five percent of all our soldiers are Catholic, so we are spread mighty thin," Father Rutherford told The Evangelist in an email exchange from Germany. "All priests in the Army provide pastoral care to our soldiers and to Army families."

He wrote that "I am on the road every weekend, filling in at Masses for outlying installations for priests that may currently be deployed."

When he returns to the U.S., Father Rutherford expects to assist with weekend Masses at Forts Myer, Belvoir, McNair and Meade.

Terror war

Father Rutherford has served in Iraq, and in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Desert Thunder and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I've been to combat twice," he told The Evangelist. "Each commander that I have ever had has truly been a person of faith. The global war on terror is all about the rights of people. It is the soldier that is defending these human rights and stopping the insurgents from killing.

"A great deal of the work in Iraq and Afghanistan is being done by contact with the local clergy in what is called religious leader engagements. In a country like Iraq, where faith and religion play such great roles in the community, it is the chaplains that gain the trust of local imams and, thereby, of the people.

"The chaplains are really the right hand of the commander in the current global war on terror."

(Father Rutherford's mother, Mary, said of his promotion: "Our whole family is very excited, very happy. [The promotion] is an awesome thing when you think about it. As a chaplain, my son has always shown a deep sensitivity to soldiers and their families, especially whenever anyone was sick or hospitalized. You'd find him right there with them, offering prayers and support. I couldn't be prouder of him.")

(10/25/07)