Catholic Priests Who Lose Contract at Walter Reed Get Support From GOP Lawmakers

Republican members of the U.S. House have written a letter to the Pentagon asking for an explanation for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)’s recent decision not to extend the contract of a group of Catholic priests and brothers who provided pastoral services at the hospital. The lawmakers also protested the decision to notify the priests of their contract termination through a “cease and desist” letter, which was delivered just before the beginning of the Holy Week.

WRNMMC has chosen to replace Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan order community situated in Silver Spring, Md., with Mack Global, LLC of Mechanicsville, Virginia a private contractor that offers telework consulting services, road transport, religious staffing, professional training and development services to governmental agencies. Holy Name College Friary has offered pastoral support to WRNMMC for the past 20 years.

Members of the Republican party involved in drafting the letter conveyed their feelings explicitly, stating, “We have made promises to our service members and veterans that if they take care of us, we will take care of them…The DoD’s actions to deny Catholic Pastoral Care from service members and veterans at Walter Reed goes against the morals, way of life, and rights that make up our great nation.”

The letter was addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and was signed by several Representatives including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Debbie Lesko, and many more. The letter claims that denying Catholic priests the right to provide pastoral care to service members and veterans contradicts the fundamental values and rights that make up the fabric of the United States.

In response to this, Walter Reed spokesperson, Rick McNamara, explained that the cease and desist letter sent to Holy Name Friary was issued because the group continued to work at the hospital after the expiration of their contract on March 31.

Catholic Archbishop Disapproves Pentagon’s Decision

Catholic hierarchy and organizations across the country have expressed their dismay and condemnation for the Pentagon’s decision and its implementation.