Airport chaplains minister to a flock on the move

Published: 2007-08-03

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Can you find holiness at an airport? Father Michael Zaniolo thinks so. Father Zaniolo has been an airport chaplain at Midway and O'Hare International airports in Chicago for the past six years, so he's spent a lot of time meeting travelers from around the world and workers at the two airports. From what he has seen, Father Zaniolo said, the presence of a chaplain and a chapel can bring comfort amid the stress and worry that travelers and workers often face. The Chicago archdiocesan priest celebrates Mass in the chapels at each airport and walks around the terminals, bringing "the presence of the church into a place where people never think of seeing the church." But Father Zaniolo said his job is not easy, especially because he is ministering at two airports. Combined, O'Hare and Midway offer 20 Masses a week, and he and the other chaplains also hear confessions every day. "I've heard confessions in all sorts of little nooks and crannies, because I bring the chapel out to the people," he told Catholic News Service in a phone interview.

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