BRISBANE military chaplain Deacon Brenton Fry started pastoral care for the family and friends of slain digger Lance Corporal Stjepan (Milo) Milosevic at the recent Birdsville Races.
Deacon Fry, from Enoggera’s Gallipoli Barracks, said he had received a call from another army chaplain that a former schoolmate of Milo’s would like to meet him at the races.
“Chaplain to the 2nd 14th, Cam-eron West, told me Milo’s mate had gone to a Catholic school with him,” he said.
“His schoolmate just wanted to chat with someone with a Catholic background.
“I was given his schoolmate’s mobile phone number and we caught up at the races to chat about life, death and resurrection.”
Lance Corporal Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robert Poate, all with the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) Task Group, were murdered by a rogue Afghan soldier at a patrol base in Oruzgan province on August 29.
Deacon Fry, a former SAS soldier who has been a chaplain for the past seven years, said he had also had contact with the Poate family in the ensuing days.
“His family found out I had known Robert when I was chaplain to Kap-ooka (Army Base),” he said.
“So I became involved in pastoral support for the family in this tragic time.”
Deacon Fry was present to support the Poate family at the ramp ceremony at RAAF Base Amberley on September 5 when their son’s body was returned to Australia from Afghanistan.
At the ramp ceremony, he also spoke with Lance Corporal Milo-sevic’s widow, Kelly, and gave sets of Rosary beads to the slain soldier’s two daughters Sarah, 8, and Kate, 6.
“His eldest daughter told me she was never going to take the Rosary beads off,” Deacon Fry said.
He said the soldiers would be buried in separate services across the nation – Lance Corporal Milosevic in Brisbane, Sapper Martin in Perth and Private Poate in Canberra.
Deacon Fry will attend Private Poate’s funeral while Amberley Base army chaplain Fr Damian Styles will conduct a Catholic funeral rite for Lance Corporal Milosevic in Brisbane.
The Poate family, who are Anglicans and live in Canberra, will receive ongoing primary pastoral care from an Anglican priest there.
“However, I will be a custodian for that pastoral care whenever the family come to any military events in Brisbane,” Deacon Fry said.
“It’s all part of the very close and quite complex system of support for bereaved military families provided by the army and the community of soldiers’ friends.”
A private funeral service was held for Lance Corporal Stjepan ‘Rick’ Milosevic at Marist College in Ashgrove, Brisbane on Wednesday September 12.
A former student of Marist College, who graduated in 1989, Lance Corporal Milosevic was farewelled by current students and mates from his regiment, who lined the route to the school chapel.
Private Robert Poate’s funeral was held at Canberra Grammar School, Monaro Crescent, Red Hill also on September 12.
