FORMER FAIRFAX PASTOR READIES FOR GUARD DEPLOYMENT

Milton pastor readies for Guard deployment

By Adam Silverman
Free Press Staff Writer

MILTON -- At first, the Rev. John Feltz demurred when parishioners at St. Ann Catholic Church in Milton told their pastor they wanted to plan a farewell lunch in his honor. Yes, he's being deployed overseas with the Vermont National Guard, he said, but he's not leaving the parish for good.

"He said, 'No, no, no, no. That indicates I'm not coming back, and I'm definitely coming back,'" recalled church member Denise Lavigne. "I said, 'No -- we just want to wish you well.' He realized our need."

So after Mass next Sunday, parishioners will gather at the Main Street church for a potluck lunch to send off Father Feltz, who also serves as one of two state Guard chaplains. Later that week, Chaplain Feltz and about 600 other Guard members will leave Vermont, first for training in the United States, and then for a mission in the Middle East of providing security at locations outside Iraq.

Feltz, 58, is the only pastor accompanying the soldiers on their 18-month assignment. He is exchanging his duties as head of a thriving congregation of 840 families in Milton, as well as his ministering to relatives of Guard members injured or killed overseas, to serve as spiritual and emotional support for the deployed soldiers.

His focus now is on the next 10 days, on the parish, on preparing to leave. Soon, he'll shift his emphasis to his mission and ministering to the needs of the Guard members, all part of the 86th Brigade.

"I'm going with a great group of soldiers," Feltz said Sunday as he sat in the church rectory after celebrating morning Mass and a baptism. "You believe and trust everything you talk about: the power and the providence of God."

A chaplain does not accompany every overseas deployment, said Lt. Col. Charles Purinton, staff chaplain with the 86th Brigade. Soldiers mobilized on smaller deployments find chaplains awaiting them, Purinton said, while larger groups require their own resources.

"We can and should provide a chaplain," Purinton said. "The nature of the mission and the number of troops are both factors."

Feltz, a major, has been a Guard chaplain for more than nine years, following the same boot-camp training recruits go through. This deployment will be his first, he said.

Despite his training, Feltz will not carry a gun, as the military considers chaplains people of peace. Instead he will be assigned a full-time assistant, who will serve both as an armed bodyguard and a liaison to soldiers. Feltz's focus will be on conducting religious services and attending to whomever needs his help, he said.

"The soldiers are going to be carrying whatever their feelings are," the chaplain said. "People carry in all different aspects of their lives, good and bad. You're offering counseling on the psychological or spiritual plane."

While Feltz is gone, St. Ann will turn to the Rev. Lawrence Ridgley, a pastor at the nearby Fairfax congregation. He came to Mass last week for an orientation and a chance to meet his new parishioners, Feltz said. Lavigne said the congregation is strong and will do well while Feltz is away, as they eagerly await his return.

"We're very proud of him, and we'll miss him a great deal," Lavigne, 48, said. "It's kind of scary. We worry about him, but he assures us he'll be fine. He's always thinking about us first. We'll do our best, because that's what he needs."

Feltz formed a tight bond with the parish during his two years there, Lavigne said, and it is "a given" that they will be praying for him. Parishioners know the role Feltz has with the Guard is important, Lavigne said.

"That's where he's needed right now," she said. "The people over there need him more than we need him."
Contact Adam Silverman at 660-1854 or asilverm@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
Guard status

Including two mobilizations in October, 26 percent of Vermont Army National Guard soldiers will be deployed as part of the global war on terrorism.
-- 130: Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 172nd Armor, 86th Brigade mobilized Oct. 29. They are scheduled to report Nov. 29 for training and then be deployed, likely to Iraq. About 400 additional soldiers were told they could receive specific orders soon.
-- 600: Soldiers in the 86th Brigade mobilized in mid-October. They are scheduled to report for training in mid-November and then be deployed to duty overseas, including the Middle East. Their mission is not expected to include Iraq.
-- 50: Soldiers in training and expected to go to Iraq soon.
-- 200: Soldiers serving in Iraq.

Source: Vermont National Guard