Military archdiocese to celebrate 41st anniversary with fundraising initiative

The Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) will celebrate its 41st anniversary with a Day of Giving July 21 to support its outreach to young Catholic service members.

The daylong fundraising campaign will benefit the archdiocese’s Young Adult Ministry, according to a July 17 AMS press release. 

The release noted that the AMS receives no military or federal funding, leaving the archdiocese entirely dependent on private donations.

Proceeds will primarily support Team Saint Paul, a group of Catholic evangelizers who accompany service members ages 18 to 29 in Christian discipleship at military installations.

Team Saint Paul is part of the archdiocese’s broader effort to serve more than 300,000 Catholic young adults in the U.S. armed forces. The AMS said its approach to young adult ministry emphasizes mentoring, prayer, faith formation, and lay leadership.

Mark Baron, one of six Team Saint Paul missionaries, said in a recent statement that he encountered the ministry after practicing his faith largely alone during his first three years of service. 

“It was the first time that I had encountered like-minded and devout peers with whom I could walk the spiritual life,” Baron said in a July 18 AMS Facebook post about why he now serves as a missionary. “The genuine fraternity that exists as a result of this ministry is something that I deeply desire to bring to others who would otherwise be alone in their faith.”

The first $58,000 raised on this year’s Day of Giving will be matched dollar for dollar due to generous benefactors, according to the release. 

Team Saint Paul members currently serve or will begin to serve at Travis Air Force Base in California, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. 

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