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February 3, 2021Father Justin Waltz, pastor of St. Leo the Great in Minot, was sworn in as a chaplain for the North Dakota Army National Guard.
After the swearing in ceremony on Dec. 14 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Justin’s dad, Herb, a Navy veteran, gave him his first salute. With his return salute, Fr. Justin presented his father with a silver dollar. The first salute is an old tradition for all U.S. Service Branches in which newly commissioned officers give a silver dollar to the person from whom he receives the very first salute.
In another special moment, Deacon Lloyd Krueger, a veteran military officer and deacon serving at St. Leo the Great in Minot pinned Fr. Waltz with his officer rank (captain). It’s customary for an officer whom the soldier knows and respects to have the honor of pinning that soldier.
Fr. Waltz is now a part of the line of military chaplains who have served the spiritual needs of soldiers in the U.S. Army since the Continental Congress in 1775. He is the second priest from the Bismarck Diocese serving as a chaplain in the National Guard, joining Msgr. Chad Gion who became a chaplain in 2013 and also served in Kosovo in 2015 for four and half months during a peace-keeping mission.
As a chaplain, Fr. Waltz will accompany his battalion providing the sacraments and offering spiritual support to every soldier wherever they are called to, regardless of faith.
“I’m coming at it from a servant leadership perspective as opposed to the career angle,” Fr. Waltz said. “At my ordination, I gave my life to God and He gave it to His Church. My life is all about His people and His glory. So, this is just another level of the gift of my life to the people of God and those who need me in any way. It’s the fullness of the priesthood.”
The inspiration to serve in the military began with his dad’s Naval service and also both his grandfathers served in World War II. After high school graduation, he thought about joining the Navy, but decided to first go to college in order to enter as an officer.
“It never materialized though,” he explained. “Within my studies in college, I ended up in the seminary.” But when military recruiters visited the seminary to talk about the chaplaincy, Fr. Waltz was drawn to serving as a chaplain full-time. Bishop Paul Zipfel (bishop of Bismarck from 1997-2011) suggested that seminarian Waltz first get ordained and then consider his options. The idea of the military faded as Fr. Waltz became busy with many priestly duties including being appointed as a delegate to Catholic Education in the diocese by Bishop David Kagan.
But, while attending a national vocation conference to talk about the large number of seminarians coming from the diocese’s Catholic high schools, a one-star general spoke about the great need for chaplains given the high rate of suicide in the military. Father Waltz was convinced of this call. “I wanted to serve and support spiritually, mentally and emotionally the brave men and women who so selflessly defend and protect our God-given inalienable rights,” he said.
Bishop Kagan’s statement
Fr. Waltz proceeded with Bishop Kagan’s blessing. “Bishop Kagan has released two priests to be chaplains,” he said. “I’m not sure if another diocese in the country has done that. If there was any conflict, we could easily be deployed. It’s a big sacrifice for a bishop to make.”
In a statement, Bishop Kagan expressed appreciation for Fr. Waltz’s service: “On behalf of the Diocese of Bismarck, I am very proud and honored to have Father Justin Waltz sworn into the National Guard Chaplaincy. In addition to his call to the priesthood, Father Waltz accepted the call to serve our country. We are grateful for his service to our diocese and support him as he serves the heroic individuals in the North Dakota National Guard.”
The U.S. Military is actually its own Catholic archdiocese, currently served by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio and assisted by several auxiliary bishops. They oversee Catholic priests serving as chaplains throughout the world, but each chaplain remains incardinated in the diocese for which he was ordained.
Lightening the load
With the addition of Fr. Justin, there are now two Catholic priests in North Dakota’s Army Guard and one in the Air Guard full-time—Lt. Col. James Cheney from the Fargo Diocese.
“While we could use more, that is pretty outstanding,” according to Msgr. Gion. “There are states that don’t have any priests serving in the Guard.”
He noted that Fr. Waltz’s chaplaincy will also lighten his own load. “With hundreds of Catholic soldiers spread across the state, we will be able to coordinate together to provide pastoral and sacramental care for them,” he said.
“Soldiers love their chaplains,” Msgr. Gion explained, “especially when they see their chaplain doing the same training they’re doing. When we go out into the field and lay in the dirt, put up tents, sweat, freeze, get into it up to our eyeballs with everyone else, lots of good ministry and spiritual care happens. Because that’s where soldiers see whether or not we’re in this for ourselves or for them. Once they know a chaplain is willing to suffer with them and cares for them, great things happen.”
Fr. Waltz’s first order of business is to begin officer basic training in February at Camp Grafton (in northcentral North Dakota near Devils Lake). It will take three months to complete, but can be broken into four sections over the course of two years. He will also have once-a-month drill weekends at the Minot Air Force base and Camp Grafton Educational Center.
“I love my country,” he said. “I believe in the people who are serving and protecting it. If anyone out there needs to have our support, it’s the people that help to make our country free.”
The chaplains, he explained, offer them a sacred space where they can talk freely and privately with someone who knows God. “I’m a chaplain for everyone,” Fr. Waltz said, “whatever they believe, even if they don’t believe. I will be approaching it from my perspective, but I will be there for everyone.”