European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 3, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June 2007 stars and stripes Page 23 religion priest tends his flock in War torn Iraq by James Janega Chicago Tribune Iraq the marines called it a but it really was a conference room in a War with High sandbagged win dirty Walls behind camouflage net Ting and sunburned marines watching a War movie under a blast of air the movie stopped for a Catholic mass said by army John the chaplain had arrived by travelling through streets where members of his flock had past the place where he had narrowly escaped injury from a Roadside bombing a lanky former pastor on Chicago South Side who serves despite his moral misgivings about this Barkemeyer paused to Trade the body Armor and helmet of an army officer for the White and yellow Robe of a roman Catholic when he raised his the hem of his Robe Hung incongruously Over Tan desert and the kindness in his voice competed with grunts from a weight room across the for it was the fifth and final mass he would Lead on a Day that had taken him through most of the War torn capital of Anbar the trip was shadowed by oppressive the possibility of mortal peril and an unusual in supposed to be he said this might not be the place on the face of the Earth that i would choose to be if i could be but knowing what i can what i can offer i believed it then and More strongly believe it that Doest mean life is any already on his second tour in Barkemeyer is the army Only Catholic chaplain in the a demanding role made harder by a bars he travels has cared for or administered last rites to dozens of victims of car and Roadside and wakes up James Chicago chaplain John talks with a fellow Soldier at the joint coordination Center in to knocks on his door in the Middle of the night to find soldiers troubled by fears and religious to adequately serve the number of Cath Olics in the the army projects it needs As Many As 400 Catholic priests instead it has while protestant Chap Lains can expect to Lead about 70 religious services during a year in Iraq because there Are More of will say More than 500 most during vis its to combat months the Pace brought Barkemeyer to a spiritual he didst doubt god or his reason for being in he just knew he  keep doing he surrounded by death and exhausted in Barkemeyer he told god he  go looking he it was the Only time god Ever clearly responded to after the fighting dropped in december he joined the a Tiv duty that want what he meant to do he still has serious questions about How the came to in a homily to his he once explained his stance there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction there didst seem to be need for a preemptive War there was no connection Between sad dam Hussein and Al Aida and there was no urgency for a War to prevent future Vio this is All about taking care of sons and Barkemeyer said of his ser vice to not about the justness of the he was moved to join As teenagers left Church pews at Cajetan for the army and marines after the terrorist at he knew about the chaplain in he had entered the army re thinking he would be a Par time Touchstone for troops in the two months after finishing chaplain the army sent him to Kuwait and his Home during part of that tour was Iraq Abu Gharib ministering to reservists there in the Wake of the prisoner abuse it was so obvious he would be deployed again that he called Cardinal Francis George and asked for a leave of absence out of fairness to when Barkemeyer returned to his Par ish in he broke the news that he would not be staying Barkemeyer left the archdiocese of Chi Cago for the 3rd infantry division in geor Gia in december by late january he was in car bombs hit police checkpoints and Roadside bombs blasted army soldiers fell to sniper fire and across the Street from his room at Camp he spent hours at Charlie medi a military emergency moving mangled bodies and saying last Barkemeyer tries to improve lives in Small for troops at spartan he brings video game dds and material comforts gathered through an internet donation anything i can do that makes life a Little better for a makes a Day Little bit that stuff is he i live for that kind of ill go to whatever meetings i need to go through and All that i live for greeters hold the key at places of worship Emily fort Worth Texas Zeb Ivan Smith greets Owen Bell at the first United methodist Church in by Terry Lee Goodrich fort Worth Texas Star Telegram fort Texas Zeb Ivan Smith got his Start As a greeter six decades ago when he worked the graveyard shift As a Railroad ticket agent in id Greet anyone getting on or few who would catch the train at that said known As still but these his station is first United meth Odist Church of where there Are lots More folks to greeters play a huge role for visitors and regulars at places of sixty seven percent of people who returned to a Church three or More times did so because of a warm according to a 2004 Survey of visitors at 312 the Survey was cited in the Book Widen ing the Welcome of your Church biblical hospitality and the vital by Fred Bernhard and Steve people pretty much decide before the Sermon Ever starts whether  come said Scott a minister who trains greeters at Arlington North Davis Church of when they come through the they have the Opportunity to really see what you Are instead of just hear what you of a greeter and seater at Texas churches since his Early has served at the Bedford Church for 13 he is diminutive 5 1 inches and each week donning a Lapel pin and Bow that was my instruction growing you look your very nicest when you go Wor Smith his Marybeth teases him about the hugs he sometimes gives with his you get a feeling right away where a person is hug Gable or Smith if you keep your at hamms he trains teams of 12 to 15 and rotates them having new teams keeps it fresh for them and he greeting can be a family theres nothing like a child handing another child a too Many greeters can seem con Hamm you dont want your greeters to be so energetic and smiling and have had so much Coffee that they pounce on its really about learning How to read