Photo By Jerry Foltz | The Rev. Richard Barfield prays with Catholic parishioners during daily mass in the...... read more read more
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The Rev. Richard Barfield's path to the priesthood is one paved with the unexpected.
A former Baptist turned Catholic, a one-time U.S. Army chaplain now serving as an Air Force civil servant at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and one of the few married Catholic priests in the U.S., Barfield's life is a testament to the winding, often surprising, nature of faith.
"It's not the typical path," Barfield acknowledged, his slight Southern drawl still evident despite years spent across the globe.
That path began in the small town of Van Vleck, Texas, where Barfield grew up immersed in both faith and the allure of military service, thanks in part to his father, an Army reservist.
“Growing up in Southeast Texas, it was a melting pot of different cultures,” said Barfield. “I was blessed to be surrounded by Hispanic, African American, Filipino and Vietnamese communities, which really fostered an openness to other cultures.”
But the inevitable pull of the military led him to enlist in the U.S. Navy in 1991.
“That sense of inclusivity only deepened in the military,” Barfield said. “You learn to relate to people from all walks of life, regardless of background or beliefs."
Barfield served in uniform for six years as an Electronic Technician Petty Office Third Class aboard the Anchorage-class dock landing ship USS Pensacola, homeported at Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia. Maintaining, repairing, and calibrating the shipboard electronic equipment used for communications, detection and navigation only helped to solidify his dedication to military service.
After an honorable discharge in 1996, he married his wife, Dawn, and they started a family.
Utilizing his GI Bill benefits, Barfield earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Austin Peay State University. While his academic pursuits hinted at a career in medicine, Barfield felt the call to ministry.
“I would never have thought about joining the clergy without the support of my wife and family,” Barfield said. “It is only with their full support that I was able to take those first critical steps.”
He became deeply involved with the Church of the Nazarene, serving as both an associate and senior pastor in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Continuing his studies, Barfield went on to receive a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity, a Master of Arts in Moral Theology, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling.
However, the military spirit instilled in him from an early age never truly left. In 2006, Barfield joined the Army Reserves as a chaplain candidate, completing the Chaplain Basic Officer Leaders Course in the fall of 2007 at Fort Jackon, South Carolina, before embarking on an 11-year journey that would see him as a Battalion Chaplain, ministering to soldiers in the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 7th Special Forces Group (A) at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, the 173rd Airborne at Caserma Ederle Army Base in Italy and the 115th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.
Each deployment presented unique challenges, and opportunities, to minister to soldiers facing life-and-death situations.
“Respect is earned, never given,” Barfield said. “Military members need to know that you are willing to do whatever they can before they are willing to open up.”
“On one occasion, the sergeant major asked me to talk to a soldier who was jittery about performing another jump,” Barfield said. “The soldier said he didn’t jump out like instructed, but kind of fell out, which resulted in him colliding with someone on the way down.”
Barfield neglected to tell the distraught soldier that it was the chaplain that the soldier impacted on the descent.
“I was a little jumpy as well, because I too simply fell out of the aircraft,” Barfield said. “Even though I was still processing what could have happened, I wanted to keep him calm and collected, so he could perform his mission.”
It was during a 2012 deployment to Afghanistan with Special Forces that Barfield's spiritual life took a sharp turn, which would change the trajectory of his life and belief, forever.
“It was during a particular period that the Lord showed me a different path,” Barfield said.
The experience, shared with Dawn and their five children, sparked a profound shift as Richard began his conversion to Catholicism, which provided him the needed spiritual avenue to deal with many of life’s ordeals and fulfill his innate ability to give back and provide guidance to others.
"I became a lay leader of sorts in the Catholic Chapel community everywhere I went from there on out," Barfield said.
Despite his growing connection to Catholicism, Barfield continued his service as a Protestant chaplain, eventually meeting Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, while at Fort Johnson. Recognizing Barfield's unique situation, the archbishop connected him with Bishop Brendan Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, Texas, setting in motion the process for Barfield to be ordained under the Pastoral Provision, a rare exception that allowed married former Protestant clergy to become Catholic priests.
After serving for 17 years, Barfield received an honorable discharge from the military in 2018, and spent the next three years in formation as a Catholic Seminarian, engaged daily in master’s-level academics, prayer, daily Mass, spiritual direction and pastoral work while going through the fours stage of formation; the Propaedeutic Stage, Discipleship Stage, Configuration Stage and Vocational Synthesis Stage, in order to better develop his human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral skills.
Barfield’s unconventional path culminated Jan. 8, 2022, in a deeply moving ceremony, as Bishop Cahill ordained him as a Catholic priest at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, Texas - a stone’s throw from his hometown.
For the next three years, Barfield served as Parochial Vicar for Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Port Lavaca, Texas, and its three mission parishes. His experience ministering to diverse communities honed his pastoral skills and deepened his commitment to serving the faithful.
“They’re really not that much different from each other,” said Barfield, contrasting the roles and responsibility of a man in uniform to a man of the cloth. “Faith, like the military, is guided by discipline, and you must be dedicated in your belief.”
"The military is a very inclusive environment," Barfield explained. "You're interacting with people from all faiths, and it's not about competition or trying to convert anyone. It's about fostering understanding and respect from all faiths."
Today, Barfield finds himself at Robins AFB, embarking on a new chapter in his extraordinary journey. His life story, marked by unwavering faith, service and a touch of divine providence, serves as an inspiration to those navigating their own paths to God.
“Bring soldiers to God, and bring God to soldiers,” Barfield said, citing the quote made famous by Chap. (Maj. Gen.) David Hicks, an Army Chief of Chaplains, who served shortly after 9/11. “This phrase embodies my focus on providing spiritual support and faith-based ministry to military personnel.”
Barfield addressed concerns some parishioners may have and reassured them of his diligence to spiritual devotion and guidance.
“Why is he married,” Barfield said, mimicking statements he had heard from others. “Well, up until the 11th century, priests were allowed to marry. Although my wife is a big part of my life, what is said in my spiritual role is between the devotee, myself and God.”
Being married for close to thirty years, as well as being a father, has afforded Barfield the pastoral advantage and personal experience needed to provide marital and parental support for others, as well as relating to many on the personal struggles that may arise.
“I understand the ups and downs of marriage and being a parent,” Barfield said. “Being a parent has developed two things I carry over: patience and a lot of stories for homilies.”
It's this jovial dedication to understanding and respect, combined with his unconventional path and unwavering faith, that makes Father Barfield a source of strength and solace for those he serves at Robins AFB.
Barfield finished by reaffirming the church’s mission of providing spiritual support and religious services to military personnel, their families and civilians on the base through worship services, religious education, counseling and pastoral care, to any and all, from those who may have found their faith shaken, need spiritual guidance or those wishing to come closer to God’s grace through affirmation.
“If people have lost their way, for whatever reason, we want to welcome them back,” Barfield said.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2025 10:41 |
| Story ID: | 496223 |
| Location: | ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Jump Master Pastor: Former Army chaplain, focused on faith, calls Robins Air Force Base home, by Jerry Foltz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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