The Trusted Companion<br/><br/>
Fr. David McLeod was recently ordained in the hands of Bishop Donald Theriault, who is the Military Ordinary of Canada, at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton on December 3, 2005.<br/><br/>
Fr. David came from Toronto. His earlier wish to become a clergy was not fulfilled. However, in his youth days, he traveled all over Europe, and later joined the Canadian forces in Edmonton. He attained the rank of 'major' in the army and was eventually admitted to pursue courses at St. Augustine's Seminary where he obtained a Master's degree in theology.<br/><br/>
Recently, he served as a stand-in army chaplain in Afghanistan for six weeks. He said that every day the young soldiers faced the danger of being killed. It was natural that they would feel lonely and homesick. Fr. David's role was to be their companion and shared with them their concerns. As a result, they were able to build up a trusting relationship. Although the life-style of Fr. David and the soldiers was very monotonous, their fellowship did help them become more autonomous.<br/><br/>
In 2002, I personally had the opportunity of studying a biblical course on “St. Luke” with Fr. David at St. Michael’s College. He was an approachable person and I was deeply impressed by his friendliness. May God bless him and his life with the army, so that he can bring a sense of enthusiasm and hope to all the soldiers, especially those engage in battle.<br/><br/>
(Source: The Catholic Register)