Hoyer Welcomes Guest Chaplain Lt. Christilene Whalen to the House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) met with  Lt.  Christilene Whalen from the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River, who was invited by the U.S. House of Representatives as guest chaplain to lead the House in an Opening Prayer.

"Today, the House welcomes a guest chaplain from the 5th District of Maryland. Lt. Christilene Whalen serves the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River in Maryland, where she ministers to active duty and retired military personnel and the greater Pax River community,"  said Congressman Hoyer. "She is a native of St. Mary's County who went to school at Great Mills High School and went on to study at Harvard Divinity School. After serving in the ministry for two decades, she joined the Navy as a chaplain two years ago. Today, she is proud to serve so close to the community where she grew up. We thank her for the spiritual guidance she provides to our men and women in uniform, and we thank her for her words of inspiration to the House today."

Lt. Whalen is originally from Lexington Park, MD, and was ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church as a Deacon in 1994, and an Elder in 1995.   Lt. Whalen holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, a Bachelor of Arts from California State University, and graduated from Great Mills High School in Lexington Park, MD.  She worked for 10 years as a Civil Servant for the Department of Defense and 20 years in the Ministry prior to joining the Navy in 2008. Lt. Whalen now serves as the acting Command Chaplain for the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River.

 ###