The cause for sainthood for Maryknoll Father Vincent Capodanno, a U.S. Navy chaplain killed ministering to wounded Marines on a Vietnam War battlefield, has moved slightly forward, say those advocating canonization for the man they called the “grunt padre.”
The Archdiocese for the Military Services’ Catholic Committee on Scouting has developed the Father Capodanno Activity Patch in honor of Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno, a Staten Island native and U.S. Navy chaplain killed in the Vietnam War in 1967.
On the 55th anniversary of his death in Vietnam, Maryknoll Father Vincent Capodanno was remembered at a Mass celebrated in his hometown in a chapel that bears his name.
Members of the Father Capodanno Guild recently were startled by a recommendation from Theological Consultants for a “suspension” of the chaplain’s cause for sainthood. The consultants said more information is needed to support the new “offering of life” path to sainthood established in 2017 by Pope Francis.
For the way he lived, and the way he died, there are those who believe that Father Vincent Capodanno deserves to be beatified and ultimately canonized as a saint.
As a chaplain, Father Capodanno traded the cassock and collar for olive green jungle fatigues and a steel helmet. He became known as the “Grunt Padre” and was famous for going with Marines into the fiercest firefights. Often, they saw him darting among the wounded, either pulling them to safety or giving last rites.
Dear Editor: Are there extraordinary people who do wondrous deeds living in modern times or have all such individuals lived centuries ago in places far away? (“Movie Recalls Heroic Chaplaincy Of New York’s Father Capodanno, Nov. 2018”)
Dear Editor: It warmed my heart to read Catherine Dietz’ letter (Sept. 10) for
For Brooklyn-born Father Mark Bristol, 31, the call to priesthood flowed and ebbed while in the U.S. Navy. Ultimately, he discerned God was calling him to be a fisher of men.
