Many men and women from central Minnesota are members of the United States military and are serving both in the United States and overseas. Some of these brave men and women will be returning home this summer. About the same time, others will be deployed, maybe for the second time. How does the Church and parish reach out to families while their loved-one is deployed? What are the soldiers and families needs during this time of separation? How does the parish community welcome the soldier home and assist the family through the subsequent months as they reintegrate?

To assist military families, an advocacy program is being initiated. An advocate is a person or persons in each parish who can coordinate the needs of the soldiers and families from their parish.