WEBVTT 00:00:09.760 --> 00:00:24.085 So this is Frank Charles Sikorsky, president of Weimersky University, and I'm joined here today with Mark Matoza, who is the vice chancellor for the, archdiocese of military services here in The United States. 00:00:24.465 --> 00:00:26.305 Thank you, Mark, for making time to be with us. 00:00:26.305 --> 00:00:29.140 Good to be here with you, father, among all these people. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:35.540 So many people here at the, National University of Congress, and, I think there are 50,000 people. 00:00:36.080 --> 00:00:42.340 It's just a great church event, and really, really just blessed and graced to be here. 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:46.745 So, you're vice chancellor for evangelization Yes. 00:00:46.825 --> 00:00:48.425 At the Archdiocese of the military. 00:00:48.425 --> 00:00:51.565 So tell a little bit about what what that entails and what that's all about. 00:00:51.785 --> 00:01:02.150 Well, I began working with Archdiocese about, twenty years ago and came in with, opening an office for youth ministry, which then expanded a young adult ministry, faith formation, and evangelization. 00:01:02.930 --> 00:01:10.390 And our goal really is to meet the archbishop's goal of supporting Catholic priests and Catholic coordinators on military installations around the world. 00:01:10.555 --> 00:01:22.015 So about 220 US military installations and then providing for resources for people to grow in their Catholic faith when they're deployed, underway on ships, work wherever they are. 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:34.410 And I don't know if I there's any truth to this, but my gut is it seems to me like the military military families would be more devout or be more interested in god and faith. 00:01:34.410 --> 00:01:36.170 Is is there any correlation to that or not? 00:01:36.170 --> 00:01:41.375 Or is it That was the old saying that, more people would, believe in God in a foxhole. 00:01:42.655 --> 00:01:56.430 I I think, that we a little bit more of the reverse is happening in the sense of, people are great, kind of having more sense of self doubt that what they've seen or done has almost alienated them from approaching God or the community. 00:01:56.430 --> 00:02:03.390 So the very things that could help them, like the healing Eucharist that we're here to celebrate, sometimes they remove themselves from it. 00:02:03.390 --> 00:02:09.825 So the importance of being able to reach out and talk about the our joy for the faith that is really vital right now. 00:02:09.965 --> 00:02:13.345 So you mentioned self doubt from things they've seen and experienced. 00:02:13.485 --> 00:02:13.885 Yes. 00:02:13.885 --> 00:02:17.505 So I guess that's one of your major obstacles then to evangelize. 00:02:18.285 --> 00:02:19.085 It can be. 00:02:19.085 --> 00:02:19.585 Right. 00:02:19.810 --> 00:02:24.470 Could you could tell a little bit of more about what how that happens and what what's involved there? 00:02:24.690 --> 00:02:37.635 We, you know, there's we know a lot about post traumatic stress, and that happened it was discovered by, VA chap psychologists working with, veterans and and understanding this is what they experienced. 00:02:37.635 --> 00:02:38.355 What's going on? 00:02:38.355 --> 00:02:46.055 Something traumatic something, traumatic happened to them, whereas there's also, what we call moral injury. 00:02:46.115 --> 00:02:52.860 And moral injury is something either that you've been ordered to do or you've done on your own that goes against your deeply held core beliefs. 00:02:53.320 --> 00:02:59.480 And I the last few, experiences of war that we've been through in our country have really exasperated that. 00:02:59.480 --> 00:03:03.500 So there have been both post traumatic stress and then experiences of moral injury. 00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:10.655 So that's, an experience of, feeling alienated from oneself, from God, and even from the community. 00:03:10.795 --> 00:03:15.535 But some of that is actually the they've actually participated in evil things. 00:03:16.235 --> 00:03:25.440 Could some of it also be that the consciences aren't properly formed and sometimes they might think, this is really wrong, but maybe it's not. 00:03:25.440 --> 00:03:28.120 I I I don't know how that I think it's the right place. 00:03:28.320 --> 00:03:29.200 A little bit of the reverse. 00:03:29.200 --> 00:03:31.280 Because I could see that causing moral injury as well. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.040 Well, they could but it's almost the reverse. 00:03:33.040 --> 00:03:40.995 It's almost that your conscious is working correctly in the sense of, I was ordered to do something, and in the moment, it doesn't feel anything. 00:03:40.995 --> 00:03:51.255 But when I come home or a few months later and reflecting on, I was ordered to shoot through a wall, and I ended up shooting a child, I'm not supposed to kill, especially a young person. 00:03:51.700 --> 00:03:53.880 And now that starts to play on someone's soul. 00:03:54.180 --> 00:03:59.960 So that means your conscience is actually working the right way and in in one sense, a step toward healing. 00:04:00.340 --> 00:04:00.660 Yeah. 00:04:00.660 --> 00:04:08.695 You know, there's one thing I that I think if if they're positive about talking about moral injuries, we're actually recognizing scientifically now. 00:04:08.695 --> 00:04:08.935 Yes. 00:04:08.935 --> 00:04:11.095 I don't think it's in the DSM yet, but it's No. 00:04:11.335 --> 00:04:18.960 But it says that DSM is is the, manual of dyes diagnostic, statistical manual that lists all the psychological disorders. 00:04:18.960 --> 00:04:19.280 Yes. 00:04:19.280 --> 00:04:21.860 However, there's growing research on this Yes. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:34.825 Where, the field and the practice of mental health and psychology are recognizing there is a moral industry, and and that presupposes something about the human person has we have a moral compass. 00:04:34.965 --> 00:04:35.285 Correct. 00:04:35.285 --> 00:04:53.680 This is one of the things we do in at DMU is where we base, the backbone of of our of our programs, this Catholic anthropology, Catholic vision of the person, which includes, our moral compass and our our, you know, what you know, leading a life of doing the right thing. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:54.160 Right. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:05:01.515 So I think it's encouraging that that research is is is actually now pretty much in the mainstream accepting that. 00:05:01.515 --> 00:05:02.095 You know? 00:05:02.395 --> 00:05:02.475 Mhmm. 00:05:03.035 --> 00:05:03.275 Yeah. 00:05:03.275 --> 00:05:09.775 I was thinking even, one of the prayers for anointing of the sick, so a healing sacrament calls for fresh courage. 00:05:10.235 --> 00:05:10.635 Right? 00:05:10.635 --> 00:05:18.750 So so think of, we want people in the military to have courage, which doesn't mean that they'll they'll do do anything without abandon. 00:05:19.050 --> 00:05:25.070 It means, having the courage to to stand up and work as a team to pursue a mission. 00:05:25.130 --> 00:05:25.605 Right? 00:05:25.685 --> 00:05:28.085 And to know when to call out something when it's wrong. 00:05:28.085 --> 00:05:28.585 Yeah. 00:05:28.805 --> 00:05:37.065 So, yeah, I guess the downside of the moral injury is that so many, unfortunately, so many, members of military are experiencing this. 00:05:37.525 --> 00:05:43.120 What resources do you have or what what how how what has the diocese been able to do? 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:46.980 Is it making any progress in helping, and what are the keys to doing that? 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.680 So we just, had a convocation for Catholic priests. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:53.140 The archbishop does that every two years with all priests in the military. 00:05:53.840 --> 00:06:04.025 And the keynote sessions were on moral injury to really talk about not creating new resources, but looking at what's in the community already to help accompany those who are struggling. 00:06:04.485 --> 00:06:07.065 And, the most important is to listen. 00:06:07.525 --> 00:06:07.765 Right? 00:06:07.765 --> 00:06:32.235 To be able to listen into a wound, to invite people when they're ready to come back to the sacraments because we know how important ritual is, to remember that the Lord is always with us even when we self doubt, and to realize that we as civilians, who have, by our votes, sent people to war, also bear a responsibility to help pray those people back into community. 00:06:32.375 --> 00:06:42.650 Saint Umber's had a wonderful quote about that because, in his time in the fourth century, people who were going off to kill would would just remove themselves from receiving the Eucharist. 00:06:42.950 --> 00:06:47.210 And he that upset him because the very source of healing, they were missing. 00:06:47.830 --> 00:06:55.355 So he asked the community, we need to pray and and cry for those who need this healing to help welcome them back. 00:06:55.355 --> 00:06:56.335 It's our responsibility. 00:06:56.795 --> 00:07:01.695 And I think sometimes we expect people who are suffering to go find the healing on their own. 00:07:02.155 --> 00:07:04.320 So how can we as a community be aware? 00:07:04.400 --> 00:07:08.880 Just mentioning the word, Marlon, are you praying for it and, accompanying that way? 00:07:08.880 --> 00:07:09.840 That's a great point. 00:07:09.840 --> 00:07:14.000 You know, you think about, well, I'm I'm too old to serve in the military now or I whatever. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:19.095 I I you know, we kinda that's a problem with the soldiers, but we benefit from it. 00:07:19.095 --> 00:07:35.460 And what better way to help them and to support them and understand what what they've gone through and and, yeah, yeah, in our own way, promoting God's divine mercy and your God's mercy and the sacraments and profession if that's necessary and then supporting them with the sacraments. 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:44.100 And I think we we we do bear responsibility in a really concrete way that we all can can help, help veterans in this circumstance. 00:07:45.155 --> 00:07:51.015 One of the examples we used was the, the image of, Carvaggio's painting of, Doubting Thomas. 00:07:51.475 --> 00:07:52.595 And, yeah. 00:07:52.595 --> 00:08:07.600 And, Jesus guiding Thomas's finger right into his wound, but that the wound is not it's not only looking in, but there's a wound of that experience that's also looking out and and needing to release some of the things so that the beauty can come out as well. 00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:11.760 Well, you know, that's so important because we often we think about the resurrection. 00:08:12.555 --> 00:08:14.895 We sometimes forget Jesus still has the wounds. 00:08:15.115 --> 00:08:15.755 That's right. 00:08:15.755 --> 00:08:16.395 He's risen. 00:08:16.395 --> 00:08:16.555 Yeah. 00:08:16.555 --> 00:08:17.595 He's overcome death. 00:08:17.595 --> 00:08:18.895 He's overcome the crucifixion. 00:08:19.435 --> 00:08:21.115 But yet those wounds are still there. 00:08:21.115 --> 00:08:23.915 And I think it could be a real sign for all of us. 00:08:23.915 --> 00:08:29.960 We've all had different wounds in our lives, different failures, sins, whatever, trauma, experiences. 00:08:31.300 --> 00:08:32.120 It's okay. 00:08:32.660 --> 00:08:32.900 Yeah. 00:08:32.900 --> 00:08:33.540 You know? 00:08:33.540 --> 00:08:36.980 At least in this world, it's not that we're gonna be made perfect yet. 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:37.220 Right? 00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:38.980 We're still gonna carry that with us. 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:51.125 And I think to, some soldiers have even talked about being able to look at the crucifix and recognize God traumatized through that experience to realize, the Lord understands and was with me in that traumatic experience. 00:08:53.825 --> 00:08:58.645 What are the kinds of things in, you know, we have a rising mental health crisis. 00:08:58.840 --> 00:08:59.320 Yeah. 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.720 In the world, in the country, we see the numbers going up. 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:08.380 I know with veterans, there's a, there's different numbers out there, but abnormally high suicide rate. 00:09:10.520 --> 00:09:12.840 What do do you see that a lot in your work? 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:17.675 And, someone might do we have a lot of students who might wanna work with veterans? 00:09:18.615 --> 00:09:20.715 Any thoughts you might offer them? 00:09:21.175 --> 00:09:21.495 Yeah. 00:09:21.495 --> 00:09:25.355 It's it's, becoming a big issue on active duty as well as with veterans. 00:09:26.055 --> 00:09:32.190 The sense of alienation that, kind of secular society has manifested has has been a challenge. 00:09:32.190 --> 00:09:41.570 A lot of times, people do their work day on a military installation, go back to the barracks, and maybe play games with people back home, not interact with people who are their neighbors. 00:09:42.245 --> 00:09:49.205 And so this is kind of a missing piece of what's it mean to build community anymore and how difficult it is to come come around and do that. 00:09:49.205 --> 00:10:00.010 So, the military's understanding that is trying to get mental health providers to be closer to them, even on ships, in the barracks, kind of like on university campuses. 00:10:00.870 --> 00:10:06.650 So so there's definitely a need, and those who would study that and and could walk alongside would be very needed. 00:10:06.710 --> 00:10:10.250 I suppose with many military I mean, they're trained to be tough. 00:10:10.775 --> 00:10:11.095 Right. 00:10:11.095 --> 00:10:14.315 Whether a man or a woman, you know, they, you know, don't show your emotions. 00:10:14.615 --> 00:10:15.115 Yeah. 00:10:16.615 --> 00:10:19.495 Are they more reluctant to seek help about anything? 00:10:19.495 --> 00:10:23.595 I I I wonder if you There has been, and it used to be in the military. 00:10:23.735 --> 00:10:28.450 If you sought, mental health providers, that would go on your record. 00:10:28.510 --> 00:10:32.050 So so you would be seen as no longer being able to be a good leader. 00:10:32.270 --> 00:10:32.670 Right? 00:10:32.670 --> 00:10:46.795 That's that is starting to shift now because people are recognizing the intensity of how we engage in, what we call kinetic actions in the military warfare, is so intense now that it can't not affect people. 00:10:46.855 --> 00:10:52.135 And senior leaders are realizing if we don't do something about this, we're we're gonna have a problem. 00:10:52.135 --> 00:11:05.430 So the marines even had a a mental health provider, o overall of the marines to talk about, we've got to be talking about, mental health issues and helping accompany people looking for signs for suicide awareness, things like that. 00:11:05.590 --> 00:11:08.650 And also, you know, so many great priests are in the military, archdiocese. 00:11:09.855 --> 00:11:13.055 And they're, I think they're all they all need a military appointment. 00:11:13.055 --> 00:11:13.295 Right? 00:11:13.295 --> 00:11:16.435 They're all are they all or they get training and so forth? 00:11:16.815 --> 00:11:17.215 They do. 00:11:17.215 --> 00:11:17.615 Yes. 00:11:17.615 --> 00:11:17.775 Yeah. 00:11:17.775 --> 00:11:27.360 How to be an officer in the military, how to lead as a chaplain, but then also bring their gift as, a called as a priest to serve, wherever Catholics are are serving themselves. 00:11:27.980 --> 00:11:28.460 Yeah. 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:29.740 So we have a lot of our student. 00:11:29.740 --> 00:11:32.300 We have many students with military backgrounds. 00:11:32.300 --> 00:11:33.500 We'd like to get more of it. 00:11:33.500 --> 00:11:35.580 But, because I think your need is so great. 00:11:35.580 --> 00:11:36.300 You do need more. 00:11:36.300 --> 00:11:41.965 And we have quite a few of our doctoral students have done have interned at, VA hospitals. 00:11:42.665 --> 00:11:44.525 Some have gone back to work thereafter. 00:11:45.465 --> 00:11:50.445 So we really there's a real heart, I think, among the DMU community or at least there's a lot of interest to serve. 00:11:52.890 --> 00:12:05.130 And so, any words to students like that who really wanna thinking about making you a career or or even if it's private practice that they wanna specialize in military veterans. 00:12:05.130 --> 00:12:10.055 We have we have a first responder who was a former, undercover police officer. 00:12:10.675 --> 00:12:12.855 All he sees now are police officers and military. 00:12:12.915 --> 00:12:13.415 Yeah. 00:12:13.475 --> 00:12:26.030 But we're getting more and more students who kinda wanna do that and carve out a niche because sometimes I think to break maybe the stigma, you know, the military, but they they will trust someone who's been there before Right. 00:12:26.110 --> 00:12:28.930 And lived through that than it was to go to whomever. 00:12:29.150 --> 00:12:30.750 I think So, actually, go ahead. 00:12:30.750 --> 00:12:30.990 Yeah. 00:12:30.990 --> 00:12:32.430 That's the key, what you just said. 00:12:32.430 --> 00:12:46.325 I I think I would encourage those who are in the military who feel a call to study at at Divine Mercy to really contemplate it because, those who are struggling are going to feel as though they're heard first by those who understand that lifestyle. 00:12:47.025 --> 00:12:50.405 It doesn't mean the only ones, but it's the most important starting place. 00:12:50.510 --> 00:13:00.290 And when you can listen with compassion and understand what the struggle is in living a military life, that that creates, a bond right away that's gonna really help the healing process. 00:13:01.070 --> 00:13:11.275 So we've been very privileged to have a partnership with Divine Mercy, University, and with and the archdiocese with the military services, and and we're really looking forward to seeing that grow. 00:13:12.215 --> 00:13:12.855 Well, thank you. 00:13:12.855 --> 00:13:21.130 We're we're we're blessed to have that partnership and to work with you, bringing more students helping four more students to go out and serve the military. 00:13:21.130 --> 00:13:26.250 And, it's just just one of those areas that we really need to be, we love our religious freedom. 00:13:26.250 --> 00:13:27.230 We love our country. 00:13:27.690 --> 00:13:30.250 These are the men and women who make it happen and protect us. 00:13:30.250 --> 00:13:37.475 And, we can never underestimate their sacrifices and and the service they do for everyone. 00:13:37.535 --> 00:13:38.675 So Yeah. 00:13:39.615 --> 00:13:40.015 Thank you. 00:13:40.015 --> 00:13:56.030 Thank you for your service and what you're doing, and, be assured of our prayers, and I ask everyone out there to pray for, our military, our military archdiocese, and and, hopefully, you know, understand, you know, how we better love and serve our veterans as they come back. 00:13:56.090 --> 00:14:02.005 Thanks so much, and thanks for the great work you're doing to help encourage people to find healing, both, individually and in community. 00:14:02.005 --> 00:14:03.125 It's important work. 00:14:03.125 --> 00:14:03.765 Thank you, Mark. 00:14:03.765 --> 00:14:04.325 God bless you. 00:14:04.325 --> 00:14:04.565 Yeah. 00:14:04.565 --> 00:14:05.465 You Bye bye. 00:14:05.765 --> 00:14:06.585 Thank you.