Maryknoll’s Military Chaplains

While Maryknoll’s focus is on overseas mission, from time to time its members are granted the ability to pursue unique assignments. One example of such an assignment would be serving as one of the many Chaplains in the United States Armed Forces. There have been quite a few Maryknoll Chaplains over the years, serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. This Memorial Day, I would like to remember the Maryknollers who have served the spiritual needs of our soldiers.

Much like my post about Maryknoll’s Sister Doctors, I will highlight four Chaplains with interesting stories to tell. I will detail their years of service and many achievements as a Chaplain. At the end, I will list all the other Maryknollers who have served as a Military Chaplain over the years. Let us get started with our first feature!

The first Maryknoll Chaplain I would like to feature is Fr. J. Paul Bordenet. Fr. Bordenet was one of many Maryknollers that felt compelled to serve after the outbreak of World War 2. He had just begun his mission career in Korea when the Pearl Harbor Attack brought the United States into the war. Initially Fr. Bordenet was interned along with many other Maryknollers, eventually being repatriated aboard the SS Gripsholm in 1942. 

Shortly after his return, Fr. Bordenet received permission to enter the Chaplains Service. He decided to enlist in the US Navy alongside fellow Maryknoller Father J. Joseph Daly. He is among the few Maryknoll Chaplains that experienced active combat, as he accompanied the Marines in the Island Hoping Campaign. Notably, he participated in the landings at the Eniwetok Atoll and on Guam. 

Fr. Bordenet served faithfully with the Marines until the end of the war, when he was Honorably Discharged at the rank of Lieutenant. After leaving the Military, he was named Rector of the Mountain View Junior Seminary, helping returning GIs get adjusted to seminary life.

Our next Chaplain is Fr. Joseph J. McGahren, Maryknoll’s longest serving Chaplain with 25 years of service. After his ordination in 1951, Fr. McGahren jumped around to a number of different missions. He spent a few years as Vocations Director, then went on mission to Japan and Hawaii. His Chaplain career started in 1959 when he was chosen to be a Chaplain for contractors working at the Air Force Base in Thule, Greenland.

After a year as Chaplain in Greenland, Fr. McGahren received permission to enlist in the US Air Force. He served in a number of assignments both overseas and in the United States, including time spent in Vietnam. Fr. McGahren received an award for his Dedication and Service to the men of the Da Nang AF Base in Vietnam, specifically those of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, known as “The Gunfighters”.

Throughout his service, Fr. McGahren received many decorations including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Meritorious Service, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Vietnam Honor Medal. He attained the rank of Colonel in 1978, and finally retired from the Air Force in 1985. After retirement Fr. McGahren, returned to mission in Japan for a few years before going on to serve in Maryknoll’s Development Houses.

Another amazing Chaplain is Fr. Donald R. Steed, one of Maryknoll’s most decorated Chaplains with 20 years in the US Navy. Fr. Steed’s mission career started in 1954, serving in the the jungles of Bolivia for thirty years. He returned to the United States in 1984 and was permitted to join the US Navy as a Chaplain.

Fr. Steed spent most of his early Chaplain career serving in the Pacific, primarily in the Philippines. He was present during a dynamic time in the Philippines, experiencing troubles with US-Philippines relations, political instability, Islamic Insurgency, and a simultaneous Volcanic Eruption and Typhoon. In 1991, Fr. Steed was assigned to be a Chaplain for a group of twenty ships operating in the Western Pacific. This assignment would lead to him participating in the US involvement in Somalia. 

After 1993, Fr. Steed spent the next 12 years traveling to bases around the world, retiring in 2004. Over his many years of service, Fr. Steed earned many awards, including the Navy Commendation Medal (2 awards), Navy Achievement Medal (2 awards), National Defense Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Ribbon (with 3 stars), the Fleet Marine Force Ribbon and the Meritorious Service Medal. Fr. Steed followed his service with a short mission to Namibia, fully retiring in May 2005. 

Our last Maryknoll Chaplain to feature is Fr. Wayne T. Weinlader, another career Navy Chaplain with 14 years of service. Wayne Weinlader started his military career as a Sergeant in the US Marine Corps from 1955-1959. He was later ordained a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri in 1962. Fr. Weinlader joined the Maryknoll Society in 1973, serving at the missions in Peru, Columbia, Panama, and Venezuela. In 1980, he received permission to join the US Navy Chaplain Corps for three years, later being extended indefinitely.

Fr. Weinlader spent a total of 14 years as a US Navy Chaplain, serving much of his time at Marine Bases across the world. He was also a Chaplain aboard the Kitty Hawk-class Aircraft Carriers USS America and USS Constellation. In 1991, Fr. Weinlader served as a Marine Corps Chaplain during the First Gulf War, stationed at a field hospital on the Kuwaiti Border.

His final assignment was Command Chaplain at the Naval Station in San Diego, California. He served there until illness necessitated his retirement in 1995. Fr. Weinlader’s next mission came in 2004, when he started a soup kitchen in Namibia. 

Thank you for joining me as we celebrate Maryknoll’s Military Chaplains. These are just a few of the men who have supported the United States Armed Forces over Maryknoll’s long history. Below you can find shorter entries for the other 11 Maryknoll Military Chaplains. The entries link to their biography and list their Service Branch, rank (if available), years of service, Conflicts participated in, and any medals received by the Chaplain.