Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Established by Pope John Paul II in 1985, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA is unlike any other Catholic diocese — it holds jurisdiction not over a geographic territory but over people: the roughly 1.8 million Catholics serving in the U.S. armed forces, their families, patients at 153 VA medical centers, and federal employees stationed at U.S. embassies in 134 countries. Its approximately 61 parishes and chaplaincies span more than 220 military installations across 29 countries. It is the sole Catholic body authorized to endorse Roman Catholic chaplains for the U.S. military and Veterans Administration.