March 30, 2015 - Father Colonel Paul K. Hurley Confirmed by U.S. Senate to be Major General

On behalf of Cardinal Seán O’Malley, we are pleased to announce that Reverend Paul K. Hurley (Ch., Col., USA) has been confirmed as the 24th U.S. Army Chief of Chaplain with the rank of Major General.  Father Hurley was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1995 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.  

This appointment is an outstanding honor for Fr. Hurley and a recognition of his deep and passionate commitment to serving our military and their families. The Archdiocese of Boston has a long and distinguished history of providing military chaplains. We pray for God’s many blessings upon Fr. Hurley in his new responsibilities and on all of our military chaplains, who courageously serve the needs of our military men, women and families. 

 

Following is the press release issued by the Archdiocese for the Military on the appointment.

May Our Lord bless you and your families this Holy Week and coming Easter Season,

Bishop Peter J. Uglietto, S.T.D.  
Auxiliary Bishop of Boston  
Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia 

Contact: Taylor Henry
(202) 719-3643
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03/28/2015
Photo Cutline Below
 
Father Colonel Paul K. Hurley Confirmed by U.S. Senate to be Major General, Army Chief of Chaplains
 
Succeeds retiring Chaplain Major General Donald L. Rutherford
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Senate on Friday confirmed by voice vote the promotion of Father Paul K. Hurley (Ch., Col., USA) from the rank of Colonel to Major General, and his appointment to serve as the 24th U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains.
 
Father Hurley currently serves as the Command Chaplain for the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C. His previous chaplain assignments include deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as numerous stateside assignments as an Army chaplain.
 
Father Hurley, a graduate of both the U.S. Military Academy and St. John Seminary, was ordained in 1995 for the Archdiocese of Boston, where he served as a parish priest before accessioning to active duty as the 1-321st FA battalion chaplain.
 
As the Army’s incoming Chief of Chaplains, Father Hurley will succeed Monsignor Donald L. Rutherford (Ch., Maj. Gen., USA), a priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., who will soon retire after serving in the post since July 22, 2011.
 
Both Father Hurley and Msgr. Rutherford serve with endorsement and faculties from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
 
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, commented on the promotion of Father Hurley:  “ I am delighted that the Army Chaplain Corps will be led by Father Hurley, with whom I spent time last Holy Week in Afghanistan.  He is both a fine priest and an excellent leader.”
 
 
Photo Cutline: Father Paul K. Hurley celebrating Mass last year with deployed U.S. Military personnel in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Journey Films.
 
The Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) was established as an independent archdiocese by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1985 as the only Catholic jurisdiction responsible for endorsing and granting faculties for priests to serve as chaplains in the U.S. military and VA Medical Centers.  
 
AMS-endorsed priests serve at more than 220 U.S. military installations in 29 countries, making the AMS the nation's only global archdiocese. AMS-endorsed priests also serve at 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the U.S.  
 
The AMS service population also includes American Catholic civilians working for the federal government in 134 countries, but currently, due to limited resources, the AMS cannot adequately serve this population.  
 
Worldwide, an estimated 1.8 million Catholics depend on the AMS to meet their spiritual and sacramental needs.  
 
For more information on the Archdiocese for the Military Services, visit www.milarch.org, the only official website for Catholics in the military and for the Cause of Father Vincent Capodanno, MM.