FATHER FELTZ SAYS HIS FINAL MASS BEFORE LEAVING

[Henry]

The Rev. John Feltz is surrounded by the children of his congregation as he cuts a cake at the end of a potluck lunch held in his honor Sunday afternoon at St. Ann Catholic Church in Milton.  Hundreds of members of the community filled the parish hall to see off Feltz, who is being deployed with the Vermont Army National Guard on Friday.  (Photo was scanned from the Monday, November 15, 2004 issue of The Burlington Free Press and original was taken by Peter Huoppi, Free Press.

The following information was on Channel 3 news last night at 11 p.m. - Channel 5 also carried a segment at both 6 and 11 p.m.

Six hundred Vermont guard members are preparing to head to the middle east. A Milton priest will be among those who leave on Friday. He held his LAST mass today. Beth LeClair was there.

Sunday morning mass in Milton and this service is a somber one... ((6:30-- friday we leave for mississippi)) This is Father John Feltz's last mass. ..he's done a lot for this parish and a lot for the poeple in it.)) On Friday, he and 600 Vermont guardsmen and women of the 86th brigade will leave for the middle east. feltz... i think the reality is going to hit in when you drive off on Friday. The 58-year-old Feltz will serve as a chaplain to the troops. His main mission is to provide spiritual therapy to the men and women serving overseas...  also the fear of what is going to happen to them and you bring in a spiritual dimension that they're not handling this alone. cindy .. I think they're very lucky to get him and that he will be a good counselor to them and help them they way he's helped the people in this parish.  This is Feltz's first deployment in his 9 years as a guard member -- and it is hitting home for some folks in his parish. ... Crying woman, oh father, it'll be ok.  He may be a priest to the parish, but he is also considered a friend to the community.  cindy.... It's a sad event, he's really earned the love and respect of everyone here and a lot of people are really going to miss him.  Tom Hempestad ...first of all it's a loss for the parish, obviously it's a gain for the troops over there.  feltz ... you know the impact you have on a parish either through baptism, wedding or funerals, but this is a whole other impact now.  And while Feltz says he is not scared, he is not ready to say good bye... feltz ... goodbye is too i'm gone that's it i won't see you anymore, but we'll see you later.

[Henry]

Hi All,

Although the Channel 3 news scripts are not up yet, I just watched a more detailed segment with some additional comments on Channel 3 at 8:45 this morning.

Henry

[Henry]

Milton, Vermont - November 14, 2004

Sunday morning mass in Milton was a somber one.

"Friday, we leave for Mississippi," said Father John Feltz at his last mass.

"He's done a lot for this parish and a lot for the people in it," said Cindy Beaudoin-Valyou of Milton.

On Friday, Father Feltz and 600 Vermont guardsmen and women of the 86th brigade will leave for the middle east.

"I think the reality is going to hit in when you drive off on Friday," said Father Feltz.

The 58-year-old will serve as a chaplain to the troops. His main mission is to provide spiritual therapy to the men and women serving overseas.

"I think they're very lucky to get him and that he will be a good counselor to them and help them they way he's helped the people in this parish," said Beaudoin-Valyou.

This is Feltz's first deployment in his 9 years as a guard member and it is hitting home for some folks in his parish.

He may be a priest to the parish, but he is also considered a friend to the community.

"It's a sad event," said Beaudoin-Valyou. "He's really earned the love and respect of everyone here and a lot of people are really going to miss him."

"It's a loss for the parish, but obviously it's a gain for the troops over there," said Tom Hemestad, a parishioner.

Feltz did go through the same basic training, but he will not carry a weapon while serving overseas. The military considers chaplains people of peace. He will be assigned to a full-time body guard.

Reverend Lawrence Ridgley, a pastor in Fairfax, is going to take over for Father Feltz next weekend