First-ever Catholic Military Conference will focus on ‘Living and Serving Justly’

Catholic members of the U.S. military and their families are set to gather in northern Virginia Nov. 9–11 for the first conference of its kind hosted by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the archdiocese, spoke about the inaugural Catholic Military Conference in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo. He said the event, whose theme is “Living and Serving Justly,” is intended to bring together the faithful of the archdiocese, which is one of the most geographically widespread in the world.

“We wanted to invite the faithful from this archdiocese to gather together in northern Virginia, suburban Washington … for a conference on living justly … and basically practicing the Catholic faith, but with an eye very much to military service,” Broglio said.

“‘Justly,’” he said, “means to live in accordance with the law of God, which is a basic tenet of our faith. It means allowing our conscience to dictate how we respond to the situations that we’re called to face.”

He said a central topic will be just war theory and its ramifications in the present day, saying it will be a “good opportunity to review” the Church’s teachings on just war for “those who are on active duty” as well as to respond to any questions service members may have about the teachings.

Broglio noted that the gathering represents a shift from the archdiocese’s usual practice: “Normally the auxiliary bishops and I visit the faithful where they are. This is one of the first times that we’re inviting them to come and join us all together for an archdiocesan gathering.”

The conference will also include a synodal exercise aimed at listening to the faithful about their concerns and needs.

Participants will have opportunities for daily Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, and breakout sessions on different aspects of military life and living the faith. He also said attendees will share meals, because to “break bread together” is “a happy part of human human encounters and human endeavors.”

For Catholic service members deployed around the world who cannot attend in person, the archdiocese plans to record as much of the conference as possible, Broglio said.