William Richard Arnold ( bishop ) Chaplain ( Major General ) William Richard Arnold , USA ( June 10 , 1881 – January 7 , 1965 ) was an American Army officer and prelate of the Roman Catholic Church . He served as the 5th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1937 to 1945 and Military Delegate of the Armed Forces from 1945 until his death in 1965 . Biography . William Arnold was born in Wooster , Ohio , to Augustine Adam and Catherine Mary ( née Dalton ) Arnold . He attended St . Joseph ' s College in Rensselaer , Indiana , graduating in 1902 . Before beginning his studies for the priesthood , he learned his father ' s trade of cigar - making and later worked as a bar - straightener at a steel mill in Muncie . In Peru , he became acquainted and quartered with the Hagenbeck - Wallace Circus . Arnold then studied at St . Bernard ' s Seminary in Rochester , New York . He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fort Wayne on June 13 , 1908 . His first assignment was as a curate at St . Charles Borromeo Church in Peru . In April 1913 , he entered the Army Chaplain Corps with the rank of First Lieutenant . Arnold then served at Fort Washington , Maryland , until 1915 , when he was sent to Fort Mills at Corregidor in the Philippines . Returning to the United States in 1918 , he briefly served at Fort Winfield Scott in California , and taught at the Chaplain Training School at Camp Taylor in Louisville , Kentucky . Arnold subsequently served at Fort Hancock in New Jersey ( 1918 – 19 ) , and was promoted to Captain in May 1919 . He was director of the Chaplain Training School at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas from 1925 to 1929 , and named a Major in April 1927 . He then returned to the Philippines , serving as department chaplain at Fort McKinley from 1929 to 1931 . After serving at Fort Bliss in Texas from 1931 to 1937 , he was chaplain of the First Cavalry Division and supervising chaplain of the Arizona , New Mexico , West Texas District of the Civilian Conservation Corps . He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in April 1933 , and served again as director of the Chaplain Training School at Fort Leavenworth from June to November 1937 . On December 23 , 1937 , Arnold was appointed Chief of the Army Chaplain Corps by President Franklin D . Roosevelt , with the rank of Colonel . He was the first Catholic to hold the office . He was named a papal chamberlain by Pope Pius XI in August 1938 , and raised to the rank of domestic prelate by Pope Pius XII in January 1942 . He became a Brigadier General on November 21 , 1941 , and was re - appointed Chief of Chaplains on December 23 of that year . Arnold reached the rank of Major General on November 17 , 1944 . He continued to serve as Chief of Chaplains until April 1 , 1945 , when he became Assistant Inspector General of the Army . On May 5 , 1945 , Arnold was appointed Military Delegate of the Armed Forces and Titular Bishop of " Phocaea " by Pius XII . He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 11 from Archbishop Francis Spellman , with Bishops John F . Noll and John Francis O ' Hara serving as co - consecrators , at St . Patrick ' s Cathedral . He traveled extensively during his 19 - year tenure , visiting American military installations throughout the world and administering the sacraments to members of the armed services and their families . Arnold died at St . Clare ' s Hospital in New York City , at age 83 .