Dear Editor: The article (July 3) about priests serving in the military has special meaning to me. The priest that was mentioned in the article, Father Lukasz J. Willenberg, is a priest I served with at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Community at Fort Bragg, N.C., from July, 2014 to July, 2015.

I am a permanent deacon, and while at Fort Bragg, I was granted faculties by the military Archdiocese. I worked side-by-side with Father Willenberg as well as the other Catholic priests.

Oftentimes while the Catholic priests were away on training assignments or deployments, I was the only Catholic clergy at the chapel to assist the people with sacramental preparation, baptisms, weddings, annulments and convalidations.

The priest shortage is especially magnified in the armed forces. Let us pray for vocations and thank those bishops who kindly release their priests to serve our country.

DEACON ANTHONY MAMMOLITI

U.S. Army Retired

Bensonhurst