Posted on 06/19/2023 6:48:50 PM PDT by marshmallow
CNA Staff, Jun 15, 2023 / 15:20 pm Franciscan priests will again serve as chaplains and ministers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland after their contract went unrenewed in favor of a private defense contractor, provoking an outcry from prominent Catholics.
“Of course, it is a source of great joy that the Franciscans have returned to the medical center and care for patients and staff there,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, said in a Thursday statement.
The Franciscan priests and friars of Holy Name College Friary of Silver Spring, Maryland, had served at Walter Reed for 20 years, typically providing a team of five friars six days a week to minister to patients. The U.S. Defense Health Agency now has awarded a five-year annually renewable contract to the friars to resume their service.
Their longtime ministry was interrupted two months ago when the friars’ contract for pastoral services expired on March 31, just before Holy Week. The Holy Name College Friary continued to provide services after the contract expired, actions that prompted an April 4 cease-and-desist letter from the hospital that further raised Catholic concerns.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
The contract initially went to a secular defense contractor, but the Military Services Archdiocese objected that the contractor did not have the means to provide Catholic clergy. Only the archdiocese may endorse Catholic priests and chaplains and grant clergy faculties to serve in the U.S. military.
The Defense Health Agency reopened bidding on the contract in May. It awarded the new contract to the Franciscans on June 8.
original contract winners. They appear to be certified.
Three certifications:
sba wosb (women owned small busniess)
sba edwosb (economically disadvantaged women owned small business)
AND
sba sdb (small disadvantaged business)
And also these state certifications:
DBE certified in Virginia, Georgia, and Florida
SWaM and Micro (Small, Women-Owned, and Minority Owned business)
SBSD Certified (Small, Business and Supplier Diversity)
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