New Britain herald., 1919-09-08
[RMY CHAPLAIN'S
 l SERVICE LAUDED
|eY. John A. Doherty Gets Purse Of S1,OOO

Waterbury, Sept. S.-The war serv- 3a of the Rev. John A. Doherty, for &erly of the Immaculate Conception arish, and 62 members of St. Mary's lumni, was honored last week at a lnquet at The Elton. Clergymen, nrvice men, Mayor William H. Sand nd and d host of friends joined in
 bute to the war record of the guest
 honor and the local organization which he was chaplain. In the ame of the alumni association, Will m Conlon presented to Father De- erty 8 purse of $1,000, at the close
 very successful banquet.
 Father Dohccty was commissioned
 ft1zt lieutenant February 16, 1918, Rd en1 parked for France a few weeks Her. He was assigned as chaplain &1th the marines of the famous Sec hd Division and remained with them 4ntil they were mustered out. He as on the firing line at the battles of hateau- -Thierry, Soissons, Cham hgne, St. Mihiel and the Areonne End received two citations for bravery Ind devotion to duty under fire. Since Is return from military service he as been assigned to St. Fancis' lurch of Torrington as curate
 There have been few banquets held
 the city in which so many brilliant beakers, recruited from the lists Of ergg, the professions and service ben, took part. Major William Shan han made his first public address nee his return from France. He gave
 siple but stirring account of the hvery of some of our local boys and bld his listeners of the importance the army chaplain. His short beech also told of the sudden ap- 1earance one morning of a French Iriya,te who came to his headquarters n Easter morning to say mass. "We lad just lost our chaplain and we : 3ere feeling pretty blue about it," Rid the major, "and wondering if we 4ould be fortunate enough to have bother assigned to our battalion. We lent to the little ruined village as sua1 that Sunday morning, however,
 d by some dim hope that Providence Bould provide a priest for us. We tere at the little chapel only a few Ainutes when a little French soldier fepped into the sanctuary placed his
 
 five nnisutes later he was gone and ke never heard from him.
 Attorney Edward J. Finn, toast haster of the evening, introduced the lev. Luke Fitzsimons. pastor of the 2hurch of the Immaculate Conception, the first speaker Father Fitzsim- Zns told the audience of Father De- 3erty's patriotic desire to do his share the great war and said that at first was inclined to disparage the oung priest, thinking him physically &nable to stand the rigors of an army 3hapIainship. I've are quite proud, 7owever," said the pastor, that Fath- E Dohertys desire was strong enough D overcome this, and we can only re- bice in the creditable showing he has hade among the many great and mo- He priests who were with the army" Mayor Sandland stated that his own lon had verified the great service of he army chaplain. The mayor added hat his remarks on this occasion |nust necessarily be short as his 'po- ttical adviser" had warned him to apeak no longer than three minutes. The Rev. Francis OShea, present Ihaplain of the alumni association, vas the next speaker and told his |udience that he had found his work mong the graduates of St. Mary's Barochial school a great pleasure, and fhat this was due to the work of his