Msgr. finds meaningful ministry in chaplaincy
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Monsignor Kenneth Seifried's military service as chaplain in the U .S. Army is depicted in this article from our Nov. 7, 2019 issue.
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By DAWN PROSSER
Editor
Msgr. Kenneth Seifried served his country and the church for 28 years as a U.S. Army chaplain before returning to the Diocese of Sioux City 20 years ago. He was able to see nearly every corner of the globe and minister to fellow soldiers of every denomination.
A native of Manson, the then Father Seifried was ordained at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in 1963. Armed with Holy Orders and a master’s degree in education, he began a seven-year full-time teaching career at Kuemper High School in Carroll. The young priest was serving the church and teaching Peace and Justice, Western Civilization and Church History.
His father fought in World War I (on the German side), and his three brothers served in the military. Young Father Seifried had the itch to serve and to see something outside of northwest Iowa.
“I wanted to get out of the cornfields of Iowa,” he said. “It took me five years to convince Bishop Mueller to let me (leave and join the military). He said I could go right before he retired. I wanted to see the world; see what’s out there.”
And leave he did – he left spent months in Colorado Springs, Colo., then off to Brooklyn, N.Y., for basic training, and then on to Ft. Benning, Ga., Airborne School, then back to Colorado Springs. The young chaplain was then headed for war.
“There’s no atheists in foxholes”
Chaplain Seifried was deployed to Vietnam in the midst of the controversial Vietnam War to serve the young military, Catholic or not.
“The (Catholic) chaplain was there to celebrate the Catholic Mass, etcetera, and to provide for all others. If you told a soldier you were Catholic, most said ‘That’s fine.’ And they didn’t care. Some would say they were Lutheran or whatever and you’d find them a Lutheran. Give them the choice,” Msgr. Seifried said of his role as chaplain.
Msgr. Seifried illustrated the hunger for religion during wartime: he was serving at an artillery base in Vietnam and they were under fire. He had just presided at a Mass in the field for the soldiers when the chaplain was presented with a young man who was wounded.
“The kid was hurt. He saw the cross on my helmet. He pulled out a rosary, St. Christopher medal and scapular. I told him I was Catholic, too. He said, ‘No, Father, I’m Southern Baptist.’ (The Protestants) wanted the presence of the Lord. They wanted the material things of God with them,” Msgr. Seifried said, explaining the wide use of Catholic devotionals amongst Protestants in wartime.
The retired chaplain explained that in a combat zone, religion and faith were extremely important to the soldiers.
“They were scared over there,” he reflected. “When you are being shot at, you all got religion. Yep. ‘There’s no atheists in foxholes.’”
Msgr. Seifried said the commanders liked the Catholic chaplains “because they knew what they stood for” and “they were easy to talk to.” The Catholic chaplains were the first pick of chaplains by the commanders and he was quite proud of that fact.
Nothing was easy about serving in Vietnam or during the time of the Vietnam War. Obviously a chaplain doesn’t carry a weapon but he wears a uniform just like all soldiers, airmen or seamen. However, the war was so unpopular that the military were not treated well at home.
“In the United States, you couldn’t wear a uniform on the street. No one wore their uniform on the street. It was looked down upon. There was no appreciation. There were no thanks,” Msgr. Seifried said. “That all changed with the Gulf War. There’s more thanksgiving now.”
Serving around the world
After the difficult and meaningful year serving the faith needs of the soldiers in Vietnam, Father Seifried moved on to other assignments with the army.
He did realize the dream of that young priest to get out of Iowa and see the world while serving the church and the military. He counted 18 moves in his 28 years of service.
He was a student at the Army War College in Pennsylvania.
Attended U.S. Army Chaplain School.
He served in the Chaplain School.
He had two tours in Korea.
Two tours in Germany.
He served six months in Cuba.
He went to Suranam, South America.
He went skiing in many countries.
He flew into Haiti on a private military jet.
He shared an umbrella in Morocco with Grace Kelly. Yes, THAT Grace Kelly.
He lived in and visited lots of places, but explained Germany was his favorite because it is safe, has good food and “everybody drives fast.”
Highlights of the military career
When asked about the highlights of his service to the country as an army chaplain, Msgr. Seifried relayed a story about serving in Korea.
“Soldiers were without the modern conveniences of living while stationed in the countryside camp sites. They were without TV, autos, family and living in barracks. They could have gone off post and got into a lot of trouble,” he said. “But many looked back into their upbringing and returned to the church for support. Many came back to their faith. It was a most positive ministry and I stayed six extra months.”
The chaplain also said he enjoyed the structure of the military and the preparedness for most any situation that he might encounter in pastoral situations.
“If there’s a problem in the military, there was an answer. If I came across someone with a psychological problem and if I thought they were suicidal, they sent them in. They took it on my word,” he said, noting in a parish such situations may be more complex to handle.
Monsignor comes home
The young priest from Manson was elevated to monsignor and was made a chaplain in charge of 400 other U.S. Army chaplains while serving in the military. He had also been head of the chaplains of U.S. Forces in Korea.
“I logged 400,000 miles in the air over a six-year span,” Msgr. Seifried said of his final years in the army, checking on his chaplains under his care.
The army chaplaincy had a policy called the Open Door, meaning, “chaplain open the door and get out of the office to (be with) your soldiers” – which of course Chaplain Seifried did.
After 28 years Msgr. Seifried had earned the status of a full colonel in the army, but it was time to go home to the diocese where he started.
“It was time to return to the diocese, to parish ministry while I was still marketable in the civilian world,” he said.
In 1998 he left Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, Ga., for the cornfields of Iowa. He was assigned to serve as pastor in Granville and president of Spalding Catholic School for seven years. Later, he served St. Joseph Parish in Milford before retiring at 72 years of age – two years beyond the standard retirement age for priests.
Today Msgr. Seifried keeps a very busy schedule presiding at in various parishes plus weddings and funerals. He is also a fixture at high school athletic events. The monsignor also admits to frequenting area auctions for fun. There are no plans to slow down. He also substitute teaches in the local high school a couple days a month.
“My health and faith in God are my priorities,” he said with a smile.
Editor
Msgr. Kenneth Seifried served his country and the church for 28 years as a U.S. Army chaplain before returning to the Diocese of Sioux City 20 years ago. He was able to see nearly every corner of the globe and minister to fellow soldiers of every denomination.
A native of Manson, the then Father Seifried was ordained at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in 1963. Armed with Holy Orders and a master’s degree in education, he began a seven-year full-time teaching career at Kuemper High School in Carroll. The young priest was serving the church and teaching Peace and Justice, Western Civilization and Church History.
His father fought in World War I (on the German side), and his three brothers served in the military. Young Father Seifried had the itch to serve and to see something outside of northwest Iowa.
“I wanted to get out of the cornfields of Iowa,” he said. “It took me five years to convince Bishop Mueller to let me (leave and join the military). He said I could go right before he retired. I wanted to see the world; see what’s out there.”
And leave he did – he left spent months in Colorado Springs, Colo., then off to Brooklyn, N.Y., for basic training, and then on to Ft. Benning, Ga., Airborne School, then back to Colorado Springs. The young chaplain was then headed for war.
“There’s no atheists in foxholes”
Chaplain Seifried was deployed to Vietnam in the midst of the controversial Vietnam War to serve the young military, Catholic or not.
“The (Catholic) chaplain was there to celebrate the Catholic Mass, etcetera, and to provide for all others. If you told a soldier you were Catholic, most said ‘That’s fine.’ And they didn’t care. Some would say they were Lutheran or whatever and you’d find them a Lutheran. Give them the choice,” Msgr. Seifried said of his role as chaplain.
Msgr. Seifried illustrated the hunger for religion during wartime: he was serving at an artillery base in Vietnam and they were under fire. He had just presided at a Mass in the field for the soldiers when the chaplain was presented with a young man who was wounded.
“The kid was hurt. He saw the cross on my helmet. He pulled out a rosary, St. Christopher medal and scapular. I told him I was Catholic, too. He said, ‘No, Father, I’m Southern Baptist.’ (The Protestants) wanted the presence of the Lord. They wanted the material things of God with them,” Msgr. Seifried said, explaining the wide use of Catholic devotionals amongst Protestants in wartime.
The retired chaplain explained that in a combat zone, religion and faith were extremely important to the soldiers.
“They were scared over there,” he reflected. “When you are being shot at, you all got religion. Yep. ‘There’s no atheists in foxholes.’”
Msgr. Seifried said the commanders liked the Catholic chaplains “because they knew what they stood for” and “they were easy to talk to.” The Catholic chaplains were the first pick of chaplains by the commanders and he was quite proud of that fact.
Nothing was easy about serving in Vietnam or during the time of the Vietnam War. Obviously a chaplain doesn’t carry a weapon but he wears a uniform just like all soldiers, airmen or seamen. However, the war was so unpopular that the military were not treated well at home.
“In the United States, you couldn’t wear a uniform on the street. No one wore their uniform on the street. It was looked down upon. There was no appreciation. There were no thanks,” Msgr. Seifried said. “That all changed with the Gulf War. There’s more thanksgiving now.”
Serving around the world
After the difficult and meaningful year serving the faith needs of the soldiers in Vietnam, Father Seifried moved on to other assignments with the army.
He did realize the dream of that young priest to get out of Iowa and see the world while serving the church and the military. He counted 18 moves in his 28 years of service.
He was a student at the Army War College in Pennsylvania.
Attended U.S. Army Chaplain School.
He served in the Chaplain School.
He had two tours in Korea.
Two tours in Germany.
He served six months in Cuba.
He went to Suranam, South America.
He went skiing in many countries.
He flew into Haiti on a private military jet.
He shared an umbrella in Morocco with Grace Kelly. Yes, THAT Grace Kelly.
He lived in and visited lots of places, but explained Germany was his favorite because it is safe, has good food and “everybody drives fast.”
Highlights of the military career
When asked about the highlights of his service to the country as an army chaplain, Msgr. Seifried relayed a story about serving in Korea.
“Soldiers were without the modern conveniences of living while stationed in the countryside camp sites. They were without TV, autos, family and living in barracks. They could have gone off post and got into a lot of trouble,” he said. “But many looked back into their upbringing and returned to the church for support. Many came back to their faith. It was a most positive ministry and I stayed six extra months.”
The chaplain also said he enjoyed the structure of the military and the preparedness for most any situation that he might encounter in pastoral situations.
“If there’s a problem in the military, there was an answer. If I came across someone with a psychological problem and if I thought they were suicidal, they sent them in. They took it on my word,” he said, noting in a parish such situations may be more complex to handle.
Monsignor comes home
The young priest from Manson was elevated to monsignor and was made a chaplain in charge of 400 other U.S. Army chaplains while serving in the military. He had also been head of the chaplains of U.S. Forces in Korea.
“I logged 400,000 miles in the air over a six-year span,” Msgr. Seifried said of his final years in the army, checking on his chaplains under his care.
The army chaplaincy had a policy called the Open Door, meaning, “chaplain open the door and get out of the office to (be with) your soldiers” – which of course Chaplain Seifried did.
After 28 years Msgr. Seifried had earned the status of a full colonel in the army, but it was time to go home to the diocese where he started.
“It was time to return to the diocese, to parish ministry while I was still marketable in the civilian world,” he said.
In 1998 he left Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, Ga., for the cornfields of Iowa. He was assigned to serve as pastor in Granville and president of Spalding Catholic School for seven years. Later, he served St. Joseph Parish in Milford before retiring at 72 years of age – two years beyond the standard retirement age for priests.
Today Msgr. Seifried keeps a very busy schedule presiding at in various parishes plus weddings and funerals. He is also a fixture at high school athletic events. The monsignor also admits to frequenting area auctions for fun. There are no plans to slow down. He also substitute teaches in the local high school a couple days a month.
“My health and faith in God are my priorities,” he said with a smile.
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