When he finished law school at Pepperdine University and passed the bar exam, Bradley D. Easterbrooks embarked on a career in the U.S. Navy as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. But God had other plans for the active-duty lieutenant. When Bradley discerned a priestly vocation, he put his military legal career on hold and entered seminary. He is now completing formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Upon ordination, Bradley, 35, plans to go back on active duty as a U.S. Navy chaplain. He has his work cut out for him. Due to a nationwide shortage of priests, the Navy currently has only 48 active-duty Catholic chaplains, serving more than 135,000 Catholics not only in the Navy but also the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and their families. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Bradley retraces his journey to priesthood and shares how he hopes to help relieve the Catholic chaplain shortage and bring Christ to those who serve in the Navy.
