The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-28
RELIGION IN THE A.E, f.

CatnOllcS, not as Catholics or giving
iup their own UNCONVENTIONAL convic-
tons at all, but merely for the purpose
of bringing the entire camp into a So
ciety to the end that all profanity
should cease in that particular unit
The young sergeant explained brief
ly that the holy name of God should
be kept holy and not be profaned "over
here" and he hoped every Protestant
buddy would come forward and join
| the Catholics in that observance |
understand that "Rodey's' name, like
Abou Ben Adhem's, lead all the rest
The Episcopal Bishop Brent pays, a
high tribute to Gen. Pershing in dis
cussing the religious phase Of the
army.
| When the United States declared
war;" he said, I'VE had sixty-seven
chaplains in the regular army. Then
lat the instance of Gen. Pershing, the
! law was passed providing for one
chaplain for each 1900 men. Gen
| Pershing knew the value of the chap:
lain in military life. He said on one
occasion that the good soldier was
| based on the good man. He said at
another time that an army had soul
and a conscience, and unless that soul
was fed morale could not be main.
| tanned. He knew.
| I'VE have now a real organization in
the American army. When the armis-
| tice was signed we had 500 chaplains
| IN France. We were entitled to 1,400
The chaplains who came over were
carefully selected and given careful
training. An excellent school has bee;
maintained in the United States al
Camp Zachary Taylor for the purpose
of creating competence in the chap.
lains for their life and work in France
| Then when they reached France they
were given an additional course of in.
struction at our school here, and if
they were not up to the standard main.
tanned they were liberated.
chapIains Are Efficient.
Our school here has been taught
by men who have had experience UP
in the line. The men have been in.
structed in battlefield duties, first aid
burials, and the relation of the chap.
lain both to officers and to enlisted
men. Every base section has a senior
| chaplain and each army corps has a
senior chaplain. Our office here repre-.
sents both Catholic and Protestant
denominations, and there is absolute
n11 Wa oil Il "a
aside controversial subjects, and all
the chaplains are devoted one to an.
other.
What stands out above everythine
else is this great fact that the men in
our army are greedy for this spiritual
food. l have been with our men in the
line just before our offensives. Many
! felt that they were going forth to
death in the service of their country
and what they all wanted at that hour
was the spiritual thing.
I'VE have the finest lot of clergy.
men in the world in this service now
AT the front our chaplains have been
| abreast with the truest heroes that we
have. Chaplain Duffy Of the Forty
second division has tie Distinguished
Service Gross; Chaplain Darche of the
Sixth marines has the Legion OF Hon.
or. Both are Catho1ics). A large
number have the Crox de Guerre.
They We're in the forefront of any
thing that went on. They were there
to cheer and encourage the men, and
| lit. was up in the front line that this
| cheer and encouragement was most
welcome.
The direction of the chaplains' serv-
ice in France is lodged in a board of
three members, of whom Bishop Brent
is the senior member. The other two
are Chaplain Moody, son of Dwight L.
Moody, and Chaplain Doherty, Of st.
Paul, who has been long with the
army and was a close friend of Bishop
Brent in the Philippines.