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Becoming a Chaplain

Catholic military chaplains [full-time or part-time] are Navy, Army or Air Force commissioned officer’s and:

•  Ordained [Priest or Deacon] or

•  Non-ordained [Pastoral Ministers - men and women]

There are two distinct elements before appointment as a Military Chaplain can occur – the Church element and the Military element. The first step is the Church element which requires the Military Bishop to endorse the prospective candidate as a person in good standing and a suitable representative of the Church, and who has met the following:

•  an appropriate three year bachelor degree in theology or ministry

•  evidence of at least two years full time (or equivalent part time) pastoral experience in parish ministry, hospital or institutional chaplaincy.

•  if ordained, the candidate must also have his Bishop/Religious Superior’s permission, which should be sought after some preliminary discussion with a local Catholic Military Chaplain and/or the Military Bishop.

Once the Church element has been satisfied, the next step is the military element involving Defence Force recruiting. Therefore candidates must also be able to meet the citizenship and military requirements [physical, psychological and educational] to be a Commission Officer. Completion of the recruiting process will herald the beginning of the initial officer entry training which is specific to each particular Service.

Further information on the military recruiting process, Conditions of Service, including pay scales, etc. can be found by accessing the ADF's recruiting web site.

This process may seem long and complicated but it is an essential one. Apart from the Church element, it is the same process that everyone seeking appointment in the ADF has to endure.

Please take the time to explore this site for further information on Military Chaplaincy as Priest, Deacon or Pastoral Minister. Currently the Military Ordinariate has a limited capacity to provide for the formation requirements of those considering a vocation and we depend upon the generosity of the other Bishops and of Religious Superiors (and of course their dedicated clergy) to met our clergy requirements. If you are discerning a vocation and believe this may be directed towards ministry within the Military Ordinariate then we are certainly interested in hearing from you.

For serving Catholic ADF members considering a vocation to the priesthood, permanent diaconate or pastoral ministry there is opportunity to seek in-service sponsorship to meet the academic and pastoral requirements. Those considering the priesthood would be required to enter a seminary programme as determined appropriate by the Military Bishop.