Catholic Chapel Services QA_Responses.pdf
PDF 91 KB Posted
- Attached to
- McConnell AFB Catholic Religious Services
- Solicitation number
- FY27-011558
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document for the FY27 Catholic Chapel Services Request for Information issued by the Government, likely a Department of the Air Force (DAF) entity.
The RFI seeks market input on the Government's ability to consolidate Catholic chapel services into a single Performance Work Statement contract. The requirement encompasses three primary positions: a Catholic Priest (contractor-provided), a Religious Education Director, and a Music Director/Musician. Key responsibilities include provision of sacramental ministry, leadership of the Catholic community, and coordination of religious education and music programs. The primary concern addressed in the Q&A pertains to Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) policy, which requires direct ecclesiastical engagement with priests serving military communities and does not endorse priests furnished by third-party commercial contractors. The Government acknowledges it is not aware of an AMS-approved mechanism allowing a contractor to furnish a priest while maintaining AMS compliance, placing responsibility on the contractor to obtain necessary AMS endorsement and faculties. The Government indicates it may need to contract the priest position separately and that if the consolidated acquisition strategy proves infeasible, it will restructure the requirement and adjust its approach to meet the chapel services obligation. The Government has not coordinated with AMS on acquisition strategy compatibility but references other consolidated contracts executed across the DAF.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Price Template - Catholic Religious Services.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| PWS - Catholic Religious Serivces 9JUN26.pdf |
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Text version
Q&A -FY27 – Catholic Chapel Services Request for Information
As we review the requirement, we would appreciate clarification regarding the Catholic Priest position described in the PWS. The PWS identifies the Catholic Priest as a contractor-provided position and assigns responsibilities that include the provision of sacramental ministry, leadership of the Catholic community, and coordination of the Religious Education and Music programs. Our understanding, based on recent correspondence with the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS), is that AMS policy requires the archdiocese to engage directly with priests serving military communities and that AMS does not endorse priests as part of a staffing plan provided by a third-party contractor. We have further been advised that AMS does not currently maintain a waiver process for such arrangements. In light of this guidance, we respectfully request clarification on the following points:
Q1. Is the Government aware of any AMS-approved mechanism that would allow a contractor to furnish a Catholic Priest under this requirement while remaining compliant with AMS endorsement and faculty requirements?
Answer: The Government is not aware. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to furnish a Catholic Priest with the necessary AMS endorsement and/or faculties.
Q2. Does the Government anticipate that the priest position would be contracted directly by the Government or through a separate ecclesiastical arrangement, with this requirement limited to the Religious Education Director and Music Director/Musician positions?
Answer: The Government understands that it may need to contract the priest separately. This RFI serves to test the market for ability to consolidate all the services into one PWS, if possible.
Q3. Has the Government coordinated this acquisition strategy with the Archdiocese for the Military Services to confirm that the contemplated contract structure is compatible with AMS policies governing priestly ministry on military installations?
Answer: The Government has not; however, other consolidated contracts have been done across the DAF.
Q4. If AMS endorsement cannot be obtained for a priest employed by or subcontracted through a commercial contractor, would the Government consider modifying the acquisition approach or restructuring the requirement accordingly?
Answer: The Government has an obligation to meet. If it is not feasible to pursue this acquisition strategy, the Government will adjust course to meet the requirement.
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