“It’s easy to think the military is a bunch of macho guys who want to grab a gun and go off and kill people,” Fr. McGregor said before leaving for his assignment. “But there are so many thoughtful people. They genuinely want to defend the country and help people. They recognize a bigger responsibility. My question always is, who is standing to help them?”

Fr. McGregor will spend six months in his first overseas assignment. He’ll likely serve at a Mideast air base, offering counsel, comfort and education to all, plus sacraments to Catholics.

A longtime teacher, Fr. McGregor heard of the need for Catholic chaplains and was intrigued. Through discernment, his desire to become a chaplain emerged. Until leaving for the Middle East, he was posted for a year at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

“It can sometimes be an intense ministry. Something can happen rather quickly. Here, you work right in the moment with the person in front of you,” he said.

“War should never be a popular thing,” Fr. McGregor said. “There is always a spiritual cost to war. A lot of people have a weight on them surrounding family. But when you’re a chaplain, they believe in your role to help them.”

Read more about Fr. McGregor at the Oregon Catholic Sentinel.

Posada,

Posada is McGregor’s response to the American bishops’ call for the Justice for Immigrants campaign. The documentary was inspired by Las Posadas, the annual Mexican Christmas celebration. Free viewings of the documentary, which focuses on the journeys of three boys and a mother who immigrate to the United States, have recently been shown in Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The film is available for purchase at www.LoyolaProductions.com and a trailer for the film can be viewed via the video below.

Posada,

Posada is McGregor’s response to the American bishops’ call for the Justice for Immigrants campaign. The documentary was inspired by Las Posadas, the annual Mexican Christmas celebration. Free viewings of the documentary, which focuses on the journeys of three boys and a mother who immigrate to the United States, have recently been shown in Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The film is available for purchase at www.LoyolaProductions.com and a trailer for the film can be viewed via the video below.