Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-08-10
They Have a Strong and Bene-
fetal Intluence Over the
Men.
First Appointment Was Recon-
mended by Cardinal
Gibbons.
FATHER O'KEEFE is MAJOR

The number of the personnel o.
the army is more than twice that O.
the navy, so one must expect to fine
the number of all requisites doubled
for its maintenance and supervision
The number of officers and enlisted
men in Uncle Sans army is nov
about 10000, and to provide fol
their spiritual welfare Congress pro.
vides sixty-seven Chaplains repre-.
Senting all creeds and denominations
and among this number the Catholic
faith is represented by sixteen on
the active list, while there are sew.
eral on the retired list by operation
of law, they having reached the age
Of retirement, sixty-four years, OIL
retired for disability.
Among the sixteen now doing act
i've duty is Rev. Timothy P. O'Keefe,
senior in grade of the Catholic Chap
lains, having the rank of Major
since March %, 1912. Father
O'Keefe was originally appointed on
February 2, 1901, from the District
Of Columbia, on the recommendation
of His Eminence James Cardinal
Gibbons. He was born in Kansas,
November 16, 1864, and has served
in all parts of the United States and
the Philippine Islands, and his pres
ent station is at the military prison,
Alcatraz, CAL, doing splendid work
among the convicts. Father O'Keefe
will not retire for age until 1928.
The pay of Major is $4,000, plus
10 per cent. for each five years
service.
At the present time there are five
Catholics having the rank of Cap
tain, and these are Albert ]. Bader,
Ninth Infantry, who is now in the
United States on leave of absence,
awaiting the return Of his regiment
from me -lfnITip pgdaun1 80 1lnnnlH6
B. Doherty, with
Regiment, at San JnS =.
Ferry, of the Tenth InfaN N the
military prison, Fort LeaWRworth
Kan; Andrew C. Murphy, of the
Fifth Regiment, field artillery, at
Fort Sill. Oklahoma, and George ].
Waring. of the Eleventh Cavalry. at
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The pay
of Chaplain, having the rank of
Captain is $4,000 plus 10 per cent.
for every five years service.
Chaplain Bader is the dean of the
army Catholic Chaplains, not only in
age, but in service, for he entered the
volunteer service in September,
1898, as Chaplain of the Twelfth
New York Volunteers. He is a native
Of New York, and was appointed to
the regular army from the State in
February, 1901. He was born on
SeptemberI24, 1859. Father Doherty
is native of Massachusetts,, but was
appointed to the army from Cali
tornia in 1902. He was born Decem-
Der 21, 1862. Father Ferry is another
New Yorker, and has been assigned
to reform work at the big military
prison at Fort Leavenworth. Father
Oenning is the youngest of the
Catholic Chaplains, and was born in
Ohio on August 20, 1873.
Among the Catholic Chaplains on
the retired list are Patrick ]. Hart,
Edward H. Fitzgerald and Edward
]. Vattman, having the rank of
Major, and Patrick p. Carey and Eli
W. J. Lindesmith. with the grade of
Captain.
No doubt the best known of all the
Chaplains is Father Fitzgerald, who
did such efficient work with the
Twenty-second Infantry in Cuba in
1898, and who was retired for dis
ability, incident to the service, on
February 26, 1909.
These Catholic Chaplains have the
most beneficial effect and good in
rluence over all the men in the
different organizations and at the
various garrisons, irrespective OF
heir religious belief.
One OF the ranking officers OF the
army said recently, in speaking OF
The high tone and morals OF the en-
listed personnel in the service, that
he knew of nothing more responsible
Tor 1t than the presence of the Cath
olic Chaplain among the men, and his
constant and persistent endeavor TO
interest them and make them better
better citizens and better
men.