I would like to be a catholic priest but also a marine. Does any body know how to become a militairy chaplin?

Question

I would like to be a militairy chaplin but i dont know how it would work. Do you know how a catholic would go through seminary and boot camp? Would one go before the other? Your thoughts on your prior militairy chaplains. Websites and Email address where i could get in touch with some one who knows or get more info would be GREAT thank you Semper Fi

Answer 1

You can't be a Marine Chaplain.The closest you're going to get is going in the Navy and becoming a chaplain,then getting attached to a Marine unit.The Marine Corps uses Navy Medics(corpsman)and Chaplains/RP's.RP is the rate in the Navy for a chaplain's aid.In combat the RP would basically be the Chaplain's body guard.

Also,Chaplains are always officers,so be prepared to go to college.And if you're serious about becoming a Chaplain,try to learn about all other religions,because you're going to be the go to guy for alot of religions,Like all sects of Christianity,Islam,Judaism,Wicca,Buddhism,Hindu,and Native American beliefs.It's quite a job,but I'm sure very rewarding.And if you're a good chaplain,you're basically accepted as a Marine,like any good 'Doc' is.

A little off topic,but you should check out the book,"A table in the presence" by Carrey Cash,a Navy chaplain that was with a marine unit during the opening days of the Iraq war.

Answer 2

Okay, so you can do both....but you can't really do both! The thing is you would have to go through Priest training, (I'm sorry I don't really know what that's called) and then be ordained by the Catholic Church. At that point you could apply to join the Military. You would then go to Chaplain/Officers training you would not go to actual basic combat training, (at least this is how it works in the army, I assume it is the same in the Marines) You would learn the skills necessary to be a Chaplain as well as the skills needed to become an officer, ( in the army you would be a Captain, again not sure about he marines) Chaplains DO NOT Carry Weapons!!!!!! your weapon would be the word of God. You would be assigned a Chaplain's assistant to be your "body guard" if you were to go to combat, and they would carry the weapon for you. I hope this helps, I assume the Marines are pretty similar

Answer 3

Actually, I think that the chaplains usually were priests, rabbis, or whatever before joining. They don't go through boot camp and they don't carry weapons as a general rule. They are also officers, but not in command the same way as other officers per say.

I am not really sure how you go about it, but I know there is a shortage of them. Walk into the Marine recruiting station and ask. They would love to tell you all about it.

Answer 4

I know you said Semper Fi but maybe this Army info will help you out.

http://www.goarmy.com/JobCatList.do?redirect=true&fw=careerindex&bl=

http://www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=317

As an Army Chaplain you will have the responsibility of caring for the spiritual well-being of Soldiers and their families. The Army Chaplaincy includes Ministers, Priests, Imams and Rabbis. Army Chaplains are the spiritual leaders of the Army and they perform religious ceremonies from births and baptisms, to confirmations and marriage, to illness and last rites.

As a Chaplain Officer, you will lead a Unit Ministry Team (UMT), which consists of you and a trained Chaplain Assistant. Since a Chaplain is a non-combatant, you do not carry a weapon at any time. Your Chaplain Assistant provides security for the UMT. They're fully trained on the conduct of worship services, as well as Soldier-specific tasks.

The responsibilities of an Army Chaplain include:

Commanding and controlling a Unit Ministry Team during combat and peacetime.
Coordinating/directing a full program of religious ministries, including workshops, pastoral counseling, religious education and other activities.
Developing doctrine, organizations and ceremonies for unique chaplain missions.
Instructing chaplain skills to Chaplain Assistants
Serving as spiritual advisor to other units, including Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve organizations.
Requirements
Training
Helpful Skills
Advanced Responsibilities
Related Civilian Jobs
To be an Officer in the Army Chaplain Corps, you must obtain an ecclesiastical endorsement from your faith group. This endorsement should certify that you are:

A clergy person in your denomination or faith group.
Qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually and emotionally to serve as a Chaplain in the Army.
Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army.
Possess a baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours.
Possess a master's degree in divinity or a graduate degree in theological studies, which includes at least 72 hours.


Chaplains do not go through Basic Training. Instead, they attend the Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CHOBC), which is a 12-week course taught at Fort Jackson, S.C. It will provide you with an introduction to the non-combatant common core skills, Army writing and Chaplaincy-specific training. The Army will neither require nor allow you to bear arms as part of your military duties.

Being a leader in the Army requires certain qualities. A leader exhibits self-discipline, initiative, confidence and intelligence. They are physically fit and can perform under physical and mental pressures. Leaders make decisions quickly, always focusing on completing the mission successfully, and show respect for their subordinates and other military officers. Leaders lead from the front and adjust to environments that are always changing. They are judged by their ability to make decisions on their own and bear ultimate moral responsibility for those decisions.

Army Chaplains may continue to specialize and serve in the Chaplaincy at ever increasing levels of leadership and responsibility.

Being an Officer in the Army Chaplain Corps, you will have the same qualifications to practice your specialty in the civilian world.

Or you could be a Chaplain assistant. http://www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=3

Answer 5

Send me an email address and I'll take up the matter with two Air Force Catholic Priest/Chaplains I know, and get right back to you.

Answer 6

If you really want God to use you then don't become a catholic priest. The only true way to be used by God is to be born again in the spirit, ask God to come into your life to be Lord and Savior, thank Him for dieing for you and raising from the dead and trust Him and then He will make you a fisher of men but on His terms. You have to study His word on your own and God will help you on your own without having to go to school to learn the bible and then you would actually learn the truth and not be deceived by wolves in sheep's clothing. You can at the same time you are walking with God and learning, join the Marines and wherever you are He will help you witness to others who need to know Him. You don't have to join a church to be a man of God. In fact churches and colleges only end up indoctrinating you instead of you being led by the spirit. Let God use you without church influence and with His own influence. He will use you on the streets, at the supermarkets, at work, etc.... Wherever He speaks to you in your spirit about an individual that needs to be saved He will tell you. So, you can do both, be a christian disciple who is lead by God and minister to others and you can join the marines too. (just don't become a priest), ask God for Truth and guidance.

Answer 7

Each branch of the service has openings for a limited number of Chaplins from each religion. First you must become established in your chosen faith. Then inquire from its organizational headquarters as to Chaplin openings. If and when your picked you'll be asked to fill the requirements of that branch of service. Most likely Officer's Training School.

Answer 8

you may look into it, inspite of the undeniable fact that it quite isn't any longer some thing to take gently because it takes years of discernment. as far as no longer having a female chum, maximum dioceses and/or orders, reckoning on what you may look into, will turn you down or ask you to attend in case you haven't any longer have been given any relationship experience. it quite is substantial to establish the two vocations; the opportunities of married existence or of celibacy. This relational element is extremely substantial for turning out to be a clergyman as they could have experience in understanding the thank you to love and easily be relational on an intimate point, as an excellent area of the ministry of the priesthood is being there for others. And, basically as a results of fact somebody is turning out to be a clergyman does no longer recommend the sexual charm dissappears and if that person does not have experience in coping with those emotions it quite is going to purely develop into extra complicated interior of celibacy. as far as activities is going, i understand many monks who're very athletic. some play entertainment soccer and different run marathons. in case you do at last develop right into a clergyman there'll be an outlet to your athletic skills.

Answer 9

This whole process would take years. Seminary itself is (I think) at least seven years and on top of that you'd have to attend boot camp afterwards. Which means that your looking at 8-9 years! The rewards would be outstanding. Check it out with the Bishop local dioceses.

Answer 10

My father was a chaplain in the Navy. He had to attend seminary for 4 years and be ordained by a denomination. I don't know how it works for Catholics though.