The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-04-12

enuedNtIS ol the I6TllldH SdtuOilC
priests to help us in that true spirit
of faith which binds the Catholics of
all nations together. While in Baden,
at the camp of Rastatt, We possessed
our own English chaplains who had
been taken prisoners-Father Daily
and Father Duggan, who, though often,
like ourselves, very hungry, worked
particularly hard for our welfare
However, the Catholic parish priest
of Rastatt was equally tireless in CIV
ing help in every direction, and when
we lost our two English Fathers, he
carried on their good work. We had
not been long at this camp when a
Catholic officer died. He was buried
by this German priest, who spoke at
the graveside to perhaps eighty or
more officers of the Church of Eng
land The words touched the hearts
of all: Rest here in the German soil
of Baden in peace. The Catholic re-
ligion in matters of faith is one great
universal brotherhood. The prayers
of the Catholics of RaStatt will always
be offered up for the holy souls in this
graveyard. When you return to Eng
land, give my sympathy to his sorrow
ing family, and tell them he will al
ways be remembered in our sacrifice
Of the Mass and prayers
Again, when / was moved to pris-
on camp far away in Prussian Poland,
along with large number of other
officers, a German priest came and
made inquiries as to the number of
Catholics, etc. This priest visited the
camp regularly, and with the aid of a
specially printed book in English and
| German, was able to hear confessions
and supply all our needs. He distri-
buted prayer-books, Rosaries, etc, and
Lady, st. Joseph, and the Sacred
Heart to hang over our beds. Mass
was sung every possible Sunday in a
small room in the camp, and the
officers had got together quite a re-
spectacle choir. Each evening the
| officers collected together and recited
the Rosary for their temporal and spir-
itual intentions, every one of which
we had the qualification Of obtaining.
In the hungry days we made a Novena
ninth day. when finishing the Novena
we had the pleasure of helping to un.
load cases of biscuits sent by the
British Help Committee. On the Sun
day before we left the camp our chap
lain obtained permission for us to
hold special thanksgiving service in
town. The Mass was celebrated by
our German chaplain, served by Eng
fish officers, and sung by an officers
choir At the conclusion, Faith OF
Our Fathers was rendered in a man
ner worthy of the unique occasion.
Most of us Catholic officers felt q
golden chance was being missed by
having no Catholic literature sent out
from home. The Y. M. G. A. and other
Protestant sects were very active In
sending out prayer-books, pocket Cos
pels, etc, and we hoped to have re-
ceived supply of Catholic Truth So
ciety pamphlets, which would have
helped us considerably in spreading
the essential historical facts of oul
holy religion. We generally got over
the difficulty by proving the fact that
help in a spiritual sense was not nee
essary from England, as we could OBJ
tain it, not only in Germany, but ali
over the world.
yes; the only comfort we had II
Germany was to be found from a re
ligious point of view, and ! shall al
ways keep memory in my heart o.
the sympathy and work Of the Catholic
priests who amidst times of hunger
and trial kept us strong and hopeful