Professeur de théologie dogmatique etc, il a aussi demandé à embarquer sur un porte-avions des Marines "pour éviter que les gars aillent aux offices du pasteur protestant faute de chapelain catholique à bord". Il se préoccuppait de les former sur les problêmes moraux et en culture. Un choix pas du tout "liberal' du pape François! Oakland, en face de San Francisco est un gros diocèse.

Bishop-designate Barber has served as a Navy chaplain. He discussed his work in the military in a brief 2009 interview in Legatus magazine—a publication of the Catholic business-leaders organization Legatus, for which Barber served as a chaplain for several years while in California:

You are also a Navy chaplain.

Yes. I was attracted to the Naval Reserves when I was stationed in Rome. They invited me to celebrate Mass in 1991 on an American warship coming into Naples during the first Gulf War. I spent the weekend visiting with the sailors. As I was leaving the ship, the captain said to me, “We’ve got to get you some gold stripes to put around your sleeves.” So I asked permission to join the Navy reserves. I heard that sailors were attending Protestant services because there were no Catholic priests available. More than anything that inspired me to volunteer.

How has your Navy service affected your priesthood?

With the military you get a direct cross-section of America — a lot of the young people who wouldn’t have the tuition money to go to a Jesuit school. I like that. It’s a little more rough-and-tumble than you would encounter in a refined schoolroom atmosphere. You also meet many unchurched kids. I am their chaplain whether they like it or not. I go around the whole ship to all the Marines in the whole unit. I speak to them about moral issues or give them briefs about religious culture.

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