2016 Lantern Award

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, provides the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral and spiritual services to those serving in the United States armed forces or other federal services overseas. This military ordinariate is a special diocese that dates back to 1917 and was canonically erected in 1939 by Pope Pius XII for the members and others employed by the five branches of the United States military (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy), for the employees of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration and its patients, and for Americans in government service overseas. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was created by Pope John Paul II in 1985 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland, by the appropriate county Clerk of Courts, that same year. The diocesan bishop of the archdiocese is the Archbishop for the Military Services. The current archbishop is Timothy P. Broglio. He is assisted by several auxiliary bishops. Together they oversee

Catholic priests serving as military chaplains throughout the world. None of the priests of the Archdiocese are incardinated in the Archdiocese. Each of its priests remains incardinated in his diocese or religious institute. The Archdiocese maintains its offices in Washington, D.C., but has no territorial boundaries or "seat". The Archdiocese has no cathedral or bishop's church. Rather, the Archdiocese has jurisdiction wherever American men and women in uniform serve. The jurisdiction of the Archdiocese extends to all United States government property in the United States and abroad, including U.S. military installations, embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions.