a reply to:
RelSciHistItSufi
Hi Rel,
RRXDGWF
RRX = jumped out as "Railroad Crossing"
Searching Railroad Crossing + WF = found a recent suicide in Wichita Falls
DG = request to DIG?
UPDATE: Man in train fatality had eventful career
- We are deeply saddened by the loss of Rev. Timothy Hirten, Ch. Maj., USAF
- Wichita Falls PD ruled the accident involving a 66-year-old male as a suicide.
- fatal accident at the crossing involving a male pedestrian on Aug 15 at 9:02pm
- He was assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base (5 miles from Wichita Falls, TX)
- Articles details a blessed & full life, but had been suffering from depression.
- Isolated from duties at Sheppard Air Force Base due to base command restrictions
- weeks of seclusion, quarantine & separation for priests have not been easy
DEATH OF BROOKLYN PRIEST BELIEVED TO BE A SUICIDE
Military base,
archdiocese mourn death of chaplain who took his own life
SUICIDES IN AIR FORCE
Air Force on Track to Match
Record 2019 Suicide Rates, Top Officer Says
- article of Aug 27, 2020
- AF leaders continue to be troubled by rising suicide rates in the ranks
- some fear that the coronavirus pandemic may worsen the problem
- Collectively, we're struggling to figure out how to deal with this
As Suicides Near 100 in 2020, Air
Force Creates ‘Playbook’ for Commanders
- article dated Sept 17, 2020
- Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown - 98 airmen committed suicide in 2020.
- We have a playbook pushed out to our leadership to help them work through this
- challenge for [airmen] to connect & be close to folks they work with day-to-day
- nearly half of airman suicides -- 45% -- are related to relationship issues
- concerned we don't have enough mental health professionals
- We lose more airmen to suicide than any other single enemy
Two senior cadets,
among 1,000 seniors isolated at the Air Force Academy, died by suicide within days
- Army and Navy officials decided in March to close down their academies
- AF cadets on campus – socially distant in single rooms, away from roommates
- 3 AF lower classes were sent home, while seniors remained in single rooms
Suicide Prevention at Sheppard AFB
Archdiocese for the Military Services
- Pope John Paul II created in 1985 to provide spiritual services to US Armed Forces
- Nov 19, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio
- can't serve in US Military as a priest without permission of the Archdiocese
- Archdiocese receives no funding from the United States government.
Archdiocese of Military: Better to Have
No Priests than Traditional Ones
From June 17, 2017
- chaplain set to retire from active duty, likely to be without a priest
- Proctor wrote archbishop with solution: invite more traditional priests
- military is suffering a priest shortage is undisputed.
- Archbishop Broglio noted as many as half of priests may retire in next few years
- Despite crisis, against accepting priests as chaplains for only traditional Mass
Catholic priests in military face arrest for
celebrating Mass
- From Oct 5, 2013
- military furloughed up to 50 chaplains due to partial suspension of gov services
- some military bases forbid contract priests from volunteering without pay
- any furloughed priests volunteering their services could face big trouble.
- During the shutdown, illegal for them to minister on base/risk being arrested
- It’s difficult to know who exactly is making these decisions,
- I called the Pentagon but no one returned my calls
- called AF public affairs office & told to reach out to the local bases.
DIGGING SUMMARY:
- Rev Hirten committed suicide last month/had been isolated from his duties
- Military bases in strict lockdown mode due to C19 quarantine & seclusion
- 2013 Shutdown saw some religious support shutdown due to government policy
- Shortage of Catholic priests to serve in the military been going on a long time
- Only Archdiocese can approve hires / possibly restricting traditional ones
- Suicides continue to rise over the past two years/MI leaders concerned
edit on 19-9-2020 by brewtiger because: (no reason given)