The Irish standard., 1917-05-12
CHAPLAIN DUFF
BOOSTS United
STATES Navy

Chaplain of U. S. BattIeship Nevada
Says Navy is Like Great School,
Enlisted Men Have Great oppor-
tunity to Learn-catholic Boys Re.
ceive Every Possible Attention and
Do Not Stray Away from Church.
Rev. Edward E. Duff, chaplain OF
the u. S. battleship Nevada, delivered
an illustrated lecture that week in the
parish hall of the Church of the Ascen-
sion, Philadelphia, on life in the Amer
lean navy, saying in part:
"This great and glorious country of
ours is at war. For the past few
years this word has come so often to
our minds and to our ears that it has
lost a great part Of its meaning, and
we speak of it in many instances
lightly. War has not the same mean
ing for us today that it had some years
ago. Those at the head of this govern
ment, into whose hands are entrusted
the interests of 100, 100000 people who
enjoy that power, as the church
teaches, from God Himself, have
deemed it wise to proclaim a state of
war, and we, the faithful followers,
have heard the dreadful sentence, and
we abide by their decision.
There are two arms of defense in
this country, the army and the navy,
and to them we look for that security
which is ours by right. l want to tell
you something about that magnificent
and splendid arm of defense which is
known as the navy.
am aware that many Catholic par
ents do not know that in the navy
their Catholic boys receive every pos
sible attention and are enabled by the
means supplied by the government
not only to be good and loyal citizens,
but to live up to the teachings of the
church. From time to time get let
tiers from Catholic parents asking me to
look after their sons and see that they
go to the sacraments, and judging
from the tone of many of these letters,
it seems to be the general impression
among Catholic parents that when
their children go into the navy they
are going to incur the great danger
and risk of giving up entirely the
practice of their religion. Now this
is not so.
Catholic Faith Safeguarded.
In, the navy today there are ten
Catholic priests. During last winter,
when we were in the South, there
were altogether about forty-seven war
ships, and all told there were about
10000 men. Now it is estimated that
Of these 10000 men at least 40 per
cent are Catholics-40 per cent of the
personnel of the navy are Catholics.
Now these ten priests not only minis
tered to those on their own ships, but
they went to other ships where there
were no Catholic chaplains and there
sought out and found the Catholic men
and saw that they went to mass and
received the sacraments.
In the fleet there are number of
Protestant chaplains, splendid men,
men that are only too willing and too
glad to cooperate with us Catholic
priests. l have been invited from time
to time to other battleships to hear
confessions and to give the Catholics
chance to go to Holy Communion,
and this by the Protestant chaplains.
There is indeed an excellent feeling
existing between us, and through this
feeling, this splendid feeling, the Cath
Ollie priests are enabled to extend their
field Of work.
It has been the experience of the
priest in the navy that many men come
in and come back to the church, be-
come regular communicates, assist at
mass regularly-men who on the out
side were Indifferent and very care
less. So no Catholic parents need fear
when their children go into the navy
that they will lose their religion; they
need not fear that when their children
go into this magnificent branch of the
service, they are going into a place
where they will not have the opportuni-
ties of living up to the teachings of
the church. ....
The navy today is practically great
school. The enlisted man can enter
between the ages of sixteen and thirty
years; he is then sent to a training
school, and there for six months he is
instructed in arithmetic, spelling, read
ing and history and put through it's
drills and then sent to the battleship.
When he reaches the battleship he is
asked if he wishes to pursue his
studies, and if so, he is given oppor-
tunity of advancing still further. When
he is sent to the training station, a |
list of trades is put before him. He is
asked il he would like to become a |
mechanic, If he would like to become
a ships filter, plumber, if he would
like to learn the trade Of carpenter, If
he would like to become a musician, a !
baker, If he would like to take up the !!