US Army Chaplain (Capt) Matt Foley has an odd claim to fame.  Yes, he is that “Matt Foley:” the Saturday Night Live motivational speaker played by Chris Farley.  He and Farley played rugby together in college, and Farley would ultimately promise to use Foley’s name when he acted out the character.

A local news article relates Foley’s motivation and history in becoming a Catholic priest and military Chaplain. As has been noted before, there is a shortage of Catholic Chaplains in the US military, a problem that has Foley “FOB-hopping” around Afghanistan serving the needs of Catholic (and other) soldiers.

Foley’s reputation at Bagram is evident:

“He’s a good guy, he comes on missions all the time,” Culshaw said.

First Sgt. Shawn Roberts of Norwalk, Conn., is sometimes too busy to go to church services so “it’s always good to see a chaplain. He’s pretty personable and makes the rounds around the battalion.”

The article also notes that he carries a “Mass kit,” which contains the necessary items for performing Catholic rituals:

The kit includes wine, holy oil, a cross, a container of hosts, Sunday missal, monthly missals, prayer books and his white stole and alb made from camouflage material.

Chaplains of every faith often have such “kits” of sectarian supplies for serving their faith adherents–including Buddhists.

A caution to the easily offended: The article does show a photo of the uniformed Captain in front of a crucifix, a type of photo which one organization incorrectly claims is “tantamount to a [prohibited] religious endorsement by the officer.”