Archbishop passes knowledge to Warren members

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Brooke Brzozowske
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  His Excellency, The Most Rev. Timothy Broglio, archbishop for the Military Services, recently visited Warren as one of the many military installations his dioceses or ecclesiastical district of responsibility covers.

Archbishop Broglio oversees the Archdiocese for the Military Services. He was selected by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI about one year ago to fill the position of the head of the AMS.

"Most dioceses are geographically divided," said Archbishop Broglio. "My diocese is a people-oriented division."

The Archbishop's job tends to the all active-duty military, all veteran's affairs members and all Catholic civilians who work for the federal government overseas. That's about 1.5 million people, he said.

The job keeps him pretty busy. In the next two weeks, he will have visited eight different military installations, he said.

"One of the strengths that I bring to this job, along with my transcultural experience, is my good health," he said. "It means that I am able to bounce around from place to place easier than some."

This was the archbishop's first visit to Warren, and he admits Warren is "absolutely beautiful," both physically and in regards to its mission, he said. Its history is also wonderfully interesting, he said.

Archbishop Broglio said he comes from a diverse and cultured background, but one that does not include military service. He can speak four different languages fluently, but military language is a learning experience.

"The toughest challenges are the terminology and how different each of the five branches are," he said. "My responsibility to the people foremost is pastoral, how they are attended to as Catholics, but learning the military culture is constant."

"My favorite part about this job is the military community," Archbishop Broglio said. "The people are very, very welcoming, thanking me all the time for what I do and are glad to have me. The people really do make the difference."

Faith within the military is extremely important because it affects the way a person makes decisions or behaves, especially during times of war, he said.

"Working in a multi-faith environment has been a very positive experience," Archbishop Broglio said.

"I have had the opportunity to meet many different chaplains, and they have all been very welcoming," he continued. "The interchange has been beneficial and with great mutual respect. I think this lesson is something to be looked upon - that people from all different walks of life can put differences aside and learn to work together."