The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-07-21

Or Catholic sailor; and the more is the
pity, because Irish and Catholic names
so stud the roster of every crew that
is shipped. In this capacity the old
salt filled we'll his duties, and built
up for himself philosophy which was
rock bottom in strength. No power on
earth could move him one iota. He re-
fused consistently, although q very
good Catholic, to go to Confession to
a priest on land, because he maintain
ed that in the nature of things a priest
was, after all, landsman, with abso-
lutely no conception of the trials and
temptations of the man at sea. And
every Catholic chaplain in the navy to-
day substantiates this creed of con-
duct. 1t is beyond average imagina-
ton to conceive with what pitfalls the
man at sea is beset; and vet those very
pitfalls contribute an immense share,
when taken in the right way, toward
upbuilding of character.
gone with zeal and with efforts that
bring results. There are only six
priests chaplains, in the navy today;
formerly there was only one. President
Roosevelt is the man responsible for
the increased number, and for the
Very good reason that there are today
TofI
Sam's payrolls. They enter the SER
vice with the rank of lieutenant upon
appointment by the Secretary of the
Navy, and after they have been recon-
mended or approved by their own bish-
op. A priest assigned to naval service
is always retained as a priest of the
diocese for which he is ordained, be-
cause always they expect to return to
land duty and to parish work. They
receive the pay of the rank which they
hold in the navy, and they are promoted
in the same manner that other officers
are promoted. Every one recalls the
work of Chaplain John P. Chadwick.
who was the priest aboard the Maine"
the night she was blown up in Havana
harbor. And the work which was told
everywhere then, that Father Chadwick
did, is the work which Catholic chap
/ lains on every vessel in the navy and
at every naval station do. Father Child
wick, after all. was the most neces-
sary man on board the Maine on that
February night in 1898, and afterward
when. daily, brave men died from the
wounds and injuries which they receiy
ed while sticking Loyalty to their posts
on doomed vessel. Bill" Anthony,
who had to report to Captain Sigsbee,
that the ship is blown up and we are
sinking" was brave, and so was Cap
tain Sigsbee himself, but Father Child
wick was brave and something else
He was there to minister to the snr-
itual wants of the unfortunate men
| who met their death, and he was the
man to whom the sailors called when
| impending doom shadowed its ap-
proach.
In Father Chidwick's ken we place
| other men; men who probably have
not been tested. but who some day.
probably, maybe sooner than anyone
can tell, will be tested in just such
manner. And the world will then know
of them for the first time; and the
world will talk then of the work they
| did. mindless of the fact that every
day and every week they are doing that
same work. and winning the eternal
| gratitude of the men. If material gains
We're their aim, they are we'll repaid,
for who can be more greatful than a
sailor or who can be a better friend !?
! Over in the Brooklyn Navy Yard
in New York, is the receiving shin
| Hancock, and aboard her as chaplain
is the Rev. William Henry Ironsides
Reaney. Father Reaney has been a
chaplain in the navy for fourteen years.
| What work he has done in that time no
one will ever be able accurately to
estimate. The constructive good which
he has contributed to the building up
Of men and the developing of charac-
ters is immense. Men all over the
world have at times been assigned to
the Hancock, because the Hancock is
there to receive the new men. the
rockies who enter the service. All