Diego Garcia: Ministry in the Middle of the Indian Ocean

 

My recent stay in Diego Garcia, a remote coral atoll in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), was both pastoral and unexpectedly adventurous. Shaped like an open horseshoe enclosing a vast lagoon, the island hosts a major U.S. military support facility. There is no native civilian population; instead, the community consists of U.S. Navy and Air Force personnel, civilian contractors and workers, and BIOT police.

At its height, the Filipino workforce numbered around 2,300. Today, just over 1,000 remain, many serving under major contractors such as KBR. A Filipino chaplain ministers primarily to Catholic workers at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel in Seabreeze Village, where I stayed.

Arrival and Community Life

I arrived on December 19 to a warm welcome from chapel volunteers. My residence was a simple standalone house near the chapel. Daily life quickly settled into a rhythm: morning breakfasts at Seven Degrees South Café downtown, casual meetings with base officials and Filipino workers, and evening Masses—particularly meaningful as the community had missed several Simbang Gabi celebrations before my arrival.

Christmas on the island was deeply moving. The 9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass drew not only Filipinos but also Kenyan and Indian workers. New Year’s Mass was equally well attended, followed—as expected in any Filipino gathering—by generous food and fellowship.

Beyond the liturgy, the chapel served as a vital anchor for the Catholic community. There were also Iglesia ni Cristo members with their own chapel nearby and an Hindu temple, reflecting the religious diversity among the workers.

 Island Exploration

Despite its military character, Diego Garcia is strikingly beautiful. I snorkeled at the Marina and Mariano Beach near the Lourdes Grotto, cycled a 53-kilometer route to the Plantation gate, and encountered red crabs, coconut crabs, and even wild donkeys—descendants of animals left behind when the Chagossians were removed in 1971.

Fishing in the lagoon was a first for me; I caught a snapper and experienced firsthand the technique of quick line-jerking at the slightest movement. Many afternoons were spent biking through shaded trails past radomes, antenna fields, and remnants of World War II defenses at Cannon Point.

 A Glimpse into Strategic Operations

Because of flight delays—mechanical issues stranded me on the island longer than planned—I was given rare opportunities to visit restricted facilities.

I toured the Satellite Control Network (SCN) station operated by the 22nd Space Operations Squadron (call sign REEF). The facility which controls satellites circling around the earth, from government, military or commercial is open 24/7 with workers working on shifts. The SCN provides continuous, global command and tracking services to manage satellite health and position while ensuring the secure relay of mission data to ground processing centers.  I was able to see two of the radomes, one was said to be the second biggest satellite dish in DG. Then I also toured  the GPS ground antenna facility—one of only four dedicated tracking stations worldwide monitoring the 30 GPS satellites in orbit. Data from these stations feed into Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado.

Most remarkable was visiting one of only three global Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) sites, alongside those in Socorro, New Mexico and Maui, Hawaii. Using powerful telescopes, GEODSS tracks satellites and space debris orbiting thousands of miles above Earth, helping prevent collisions in an increasingly congested space environment. Its remote location—with minimal light pollution—makes Diego Garcia ideal for this mission.

Standing beneath the massive rotating telescopes, I was struck by the paradox: on a tiny, isolated atoll, humanity monitors the vastness of space.

 Challenges and Departure

Travel to and from Diego Garcia is never simple. Charter flights transit through the Paya Lebar Airbase in  Singapore, and delays are common. I was stranded for an additional week due to aircraft maintenance issues and base scheduling constraints. Yet even this inconvenience became providential, allowing deeper engagement with the community and unprecedented access to facilities rarely seen by visitors.

 Final Reflections

Diego Garcia is a place of contrasts: a secluded tropical paradise and a highly strategic military outpost; a transient workforce community and a deeply rooted faith life.

What I experienced there was not merely geography or geopolitics, but pastoral presence—celebrating the Eucharist, listening to the stories of overseas workers, sharing meals, biking along long roads under the Indian Ocean sun, snorkeling among vibrant coral reefs and vast numbers of fish, and glimpsing humanity’s watchful eyes turned toward the heavens.

In the middle of the ocean, amid satellites and surveillance systems, the quiet fidelity of faith continues.

Some of the chapel volunteers who met me at the chapel upon my arrival. 

The Sacred Heart Chapel in Seabreeze, Diego Garcia.

At the Seven Degrees South Cafe where meals are taken. It's a 3.7 kilometer ride from Seabreeze. However, a pickup truck was issued for my use. 

With Vera, the Chapel president. 

Downtown of Diego Garcia

With the officemates of Vera. 

With Celeste, the HR manager and her boss Rick Shoulten

With Darren Woods, the Business Operations Director.

With Larronce Harris, the Program General Manager. He oversees all the base operations. 

With Ashraf Ibrahim, the chief engineer and Tech Director

With some of the KBR employees during their Christmas party. 

The Gym

At the Marina

With Ryan Monforte,  a chapel volunteer who was my occasional driver. 

My quarters in Diego Garcia

The residence of the Chaplain

The front of the Sacred Heart Chapel in Seabreeze.

Chapel in the Palms, the non-denominational Chapel in Diego Garcia used by the military. 

With Tim Delaughter, the Base Chaplain (Non-Catholic)

Ryan and Tong Salamatin, who was formerly assigned at the Seabreeze Chapel and now works at the Chapel in the Palms as an overseas government employee (OGE) and no longer under the civilian contractor. 

The huge tents near the airport that houses the B2 stealth bombers when they come. 

At the Turtle Cove

At the Boss Galley near Seabreeze where the contract workers would have their meals. 

With the chapel servers and volunteers

At the music room

Having a fun day at the back of the Grotto.

Christmas midnight mass

With some Kenyan nationals

Joining a fishing trip

Biking in Diego Garcia

A coconut crab

The GEODSS - Ground-based Electro Optical Deep Space Surveillance in DG. 

Passing through radomes on my biking trips around the island. These radomes are used for military purposes. 

Asked to bless some quarters at the Splendidville.

With Zoey, of the BIOT police. 

At the Lourdes Grotto

Having lunch with Anne, Jason and Earl (who took the picture) at the Seamen's Club. 

With Patrick who heads the GPS in DG

Visited Jimmy in the bodega of the Ship Store where he works. 

Enjoying some drinks at the Music room with Patrick, Jimmy, Zoey and another BIOT police. 

Having brunch at the Officers Club with some of the Filipino workers. 

Enjoyed snorkeling in Diego Garcia