Joint Base Lewis-McChord welcomed Sister Gertrude Feick, a Benedictine sister and executive director of the Benedictine Institute at Saint Martin’s University, to speak with the JBLM Chaplain Corps at Lewis North Chapel March 2.

Feick visited on the second day of Lent, the well-known Catholic tradition and season. She started her service by reading a statement from Pope Francis to celebrate Lent and to encourage “all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.”

From there, Feick began to share a personal message for the chaplains. Her message tied back toward the idea of the Army program of Ready and Resilient, which is a comprehensive campaign to address the needs of the Total Army — including active-duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, family members and civilians.

“A particular chaplain or faithful person who wants to be ready and have the gift of resilience is all based on their encounters with the Lord,” Feick said. “This means the person needs to be open or invited to be open to encounters with God. That is what provides a person’s resiliency — their relationship with the Lord.”

Her message emphasized this relationship. She said it’s important for chaplains to be able to reflect on their relationship because of how critical it is to try and help others.

“The force is looking to us to support them, but (to be) able to do that, we need to be able to support ourselves,” said Capt. Jason Hesseling, operations and plans chaplain with Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, I Corps. “We need to have something to give. Bringing in a guest speaker, like Sister Gertrude, helps broaden our views and gives a wider foundation on which to stand.”

Feick’s message seemed to connect with many in attendance, with the audience constantly nodding in agreement to her message. That might have been because of the prep work that Feick put in before speaking before a military audience for the first time. She read “Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Military Chaplains,” a collection of tales that moved her and provided some insight into what military chaplains must go through.

The ceremony ended with Chaplain (Col.) Yvonne C. Hudson, I Corps command chaplain, awarding Feick a challenge coin and a loud round of applause. For Hudson, the chance to listen to Feick speak was a treat.

“She talked about how if we allow God into our (lives) and encounter God, then that is going to increase our readiness,” Hudson said. “If you’re a person that practices faith, your faith is a tool that allows you to call upon God to help get you through hardship. I think it gives our Soldiers an additional tool that makes them more resilient.”