The religious team of the garrison greets the end of year celebrations and welcomes the parishioners | Item
CPS. Samuil Matveev, assistant to the garrison chaplains, prepares an altar for a Catholic mass in Daenner Kaserne. The garrison religious support office facilitates and manages the operations of the chapel for the military community of Kaiserslautern. At Christmas, the assistant chaplains open and prepare the chapels for Catholic and Protestant service. (Photo credit: Shaylee Rawls Borcsani)
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Specialist Samuil Matveev, attending religious affairs in the garrison, prepares for Catholic mass at the Daenner Kaserne chapel. The garrison religious support office facilitates and manages the operations of the chapel for the military community of Kaiserslautern. At Christmas, religious affairs assistants open and prepare chapels for Catholic and Protestant service. (Photo credit: Shaylee Rawls Borcsani)
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KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Decorate halls and chapels! The religious support office of the US Army Rheinland-Pfalz garrison is stepping up its Christmas operations and preparing for parishioners across the community.
For Christmas, this means that the RSO plans the services, prepares the chapels for each service, and provides items like candles, wreaths and poinsettias. In December, Christmas services and other religious ceremonies are held around the world.
During this time, the garrison is responsible for four chapels hosting multiple services which will see soldiers from the garrison and members of their families as well as military and civilian members of the entire large military community of Kaiserslautern.
“The religious support office is the operational function of the chapels,†said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Randall Curry, garrison chaplain. “We make sure that the chapels are not double booked, they have a chaplain to lead the service and we provide items like Bibles, Sunday school books and Communion.”
This year, the garrison is hosting Catholic and Protestant services for Christmas.
“We know very well that it will be activities on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve,†said Curry. “We let the pastoral team decide what to do, and then we coordinate a response. The big part is making sure the facility is open and ready.
Religious affairs specialists, formerly called chaplain assistants, play a vital role in the operations of the Christmas chapel. Sgt. 1st Class Joel Torres serves in this role.
“Sergeant Torres will be working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to open the chapel, prepare the service and prepare the chapel for the next service,†said Curry. “He will also work from 11 in the evening to 1.30 in the morning to prepare and close the chapel.
“We also have four chaplains who will lead the service or music teams,†Curry continued. “Chaplains Michael Dawson and Matt Holder will be at Daenner Chapel leading the message and singing while Chaplains Lane Sandifer and Joshua Portwood will be at Rock Chapel on Smith Barracks leading the liturgy and chanting.”
This time of year means there are more services throughout the garrison, Curry said.
“During the Christmas season there are additional opportunities for worship and we are honored to help facilitate these services,†he said.
This year’s Christmas services are:
Catholic:
Christmas Eve, December 24:
- 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Rheinland Chapel, Smith Barracks
- 12:00 midnight Mass, Daenner Chapel, Daenner Kaserne
Roman Catholic Mass on Christmas Day:
- 10:00 a.m. Hilltop Chapel, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
Protestant:
- 3:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Rock Chapel, Smith Barracks
- 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve candlelight service Chapelle Daenner, Daenner Kaserne
- 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Hilltop Chapel, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
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