Irish Jesuit Province

A Catholic Chaplain in the Great WarAuthor(s): James McCannSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 68, No. 805 (Jul., 1940), pp. 372-379Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20514742 .

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872

A Catholic Chaplain in the Great War

By JAMES MCCANN, SiJ.

IT is not my intention to do more than relate a few incidents

and personal experiences as a Catholic chaplain during the last two years of the Great War. Of the war itself I shall say

nothing, and I shall leave the hardships and discomforts to the

imagination, as I don't believe that any words can convey to

anyone who was not in the war what life in the trenches was like. To put my idea in a nutshell, I don't believe that anyone who

was not in the war has the least conception of the supreme and

almost inexpressible luxury of being in bed. I arrived in France in March, 1917, with twelve other

chaplains, of different denominations, all new-comers like myself. After receiving our destinations at Boulogne we were sent to a " rest camp ", about twelve miles from Boulogne, to await furtlher orders. In this camp seven of us lived for three days in a bell tent. I think it was on the second evening when we were sitting in the tent having a chat, that a C. of E. chaplain, an old hand who had been out for over a year, came in to join us and tell us some of his experiences. He told us, among other things, that he had just come from a chaplains' school which had been started for about a year. After relating some of the instructions and advice that had been given there, he ended by saying that he believed no chaplain ought to be allowed up to the front till he had spent some time in such a school. Having made that declara

tion, he asked each one of us where we were going. I was the first to be questioned, so I informed him I was going to the front.

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 373

The next four were two C. of E.'s and two Presbyterians, all of

whom admitted that they were remaining at the base. The sixth, a Benedictine priest, said he was going up to the front. Our C. of E. visitor asked immediately why he, a new-comer, -was allowed up so soon.

The Benedictine replied: "I am going up to the front precisely because I am a Catholic priest." " Ah, well," our visitor admitted, " I suppose we must allow that you fellows are

different; you have a work to do and you know how to do it." I picked up my division a few days after-a cavalry division

consisting of three English regiments and some odd units. (They were then employed as infantry holding a quiet part of the line.) The other regiments of the division were Indian cavalry. I was

the only Catholic chaplain with the division. A chaplain's work with the cavalry was considerably more arduous and perhaps less satisfactory than with the infantry. The regiments were often a considerable distance apart, and as the men had to do the horses every morning, including Sunday, it was not easy to get them together for Mass. However, I discovered by being content with voluntary services and not insisting on parade services we couli get along fairly well.

On one occasion I had arranged to say Mass for one of the

regiments, and expected a congregation of a little over a hundted. I was very disappointed when I received word on Saturday after noon that the regiment would be required for special training all Sunday morning. I had about 40 at Mass, a voluntary service. These came from some odd units in the district. After my break fast I turned in to see the colonel. I told him of my disappoint

ment and that I hoped my services would never be interfeied with except for very special reasons. He asked me how mnaniy men I had at Mass and when I told him about forty he laugh

ingly said: " Oh, Padre, you did very well."

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374 THE IRISH MONTHLY

He then told me the following story. He said about a month previously a voluntary C. of E. service had been oi ranaed for the men of the regiment on a Sunday afternoon when they would be perfectly free. Everything possible, he toid me, hlad been done to encourage the men to attend the service. Hiaving remarked that there were about 600 C. of E. men in the regiment, he asked me to guess how many turned up.

I told him I had not the least idea, and then he said: " Padre, just one solitary man." I was amazed, I could scarcely believe it; so when I returned to my mess I told the colonel's story. One

of the officers said: " It is perfectly true; I remember the occasion well."

About two months later I saw myself that the story was true. I got word that one of my regiments was going to Eaypt. Think ing that it might be some time before they would see a chaplain again, I sent them word that I would be over on a certain after noon (my billet was nearly seven miles away) to hear their con

fessions, and would say Mass for them the following morning. At that time we were in a part of France where all the villages were almost completely razed to the ground, and there was not a houise left standing. I found an old stable in which to hear their confessions, and there was a Y.M.C.A. hut for Mass. I know I had not more than fifty Catholics in the regi ment. Thirty-five of them came to confession and forty-two

turned up for Mass on a week day, and perfectly voluntarily. One of the men made his first Communion that morning. I had received him into the Church and baptised him three days before, sitting under a hedge while the shells were going over our heads bombarding a village about a mile away. When the men had gone after Mass, and while I was packing up my things, the C. of E. chaplain came into the Y.M.C.A. hut.

"Hello," I said. " What brings you here?" "Oh," he

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 875

replied, " I heard you were having a service for your men so I

thought I would have one for my men also." " I shan't delay you," I said, and I cleared out immediately to get a cup of tea

from the owner of the hut before riding back to my quarters. While waiting for my tea the chaplain turned up. " You had not a long service," I said. " No," he replied. "We had no

service; not a single man put in an appearance." It must have

been a big disappointment to him. He had to ride nearly six

miles to get there. One lovely afternoon after lunch, when we were out of the line,

there were five or six officers together chatting about the world in general and the war in particular, when the major, turning to

me, said: " Padre, I think you R.C. chaplains are making a great mistake out here not throwing yourselves more into the social life and entertainments of the men. I believe that after this war the Church of England will practically cease to exist, and then the men will join the non-conformist churches where they will sing a few hymns and get some entertainment."

I told him I was astonished at his opinion of the Church of England, but that our principal work was the spiritual welfare of the men, while we frequently, when possible, gave considerable help to the social side. I ended by saying that quite possibly many might join the non-conformist churches, but those who wanted religion would certainly come to us. As a matter of fact we had thousands of converts from the men of the British Army during the four and a half years of war. I believe the Universe published the figures at 40,000 early in 1918.

A book was published four or five years after the war called Religion and the War. It purported to be evidence taken from the chaplains of different denominations on religion during the

war. The conclusion arrived at was that not more than 5 per cent. of the men took any interest in religion. I searched the

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876 THE IRISH MONTHLY

book from cover to cover to find the evidence of the Catholic chaplains but could find n one. I was told afterwards that they had been asked for and had given their evidence, but it was so damning in contrast with the others that it was left out of the book.

I had not been long with the cavalry when I received my first convert. (I had twelve altogether during the two years I was in France.) A man came to me one afternoon and told me he

wished to be a Roman Catholic. I told him I was very glad to hear it, but as I did not wish the other chaplains to think I was interfering with their men I asked him, before I should begin his instruction, to tell the C. of E. chaplain of his intention, and I told him I would call round again in a day or two to see him.

When I returned I asked him if he had seen the C. of E. chaplain. He told me he had, so I inquired if he had changed his mind.

" Oh, no, sir," he said. " I am determined to be an R.C. He tried to put me off but he did not succeed." As I could not remain long with him on that occasion, and as I was anxious to know if he was really in earnest, I said to him: " You know, my good man, if you become an R.C., there are certain things you have not considered necessary up to this that you will have to do in the future. For instance, if possible, without much incon

venience, you will have to go to Mass every Sunday. " He looked up at me immediately and, smiling, said: " Oh, sir, that's exactly what the C. of E. chaplain told me. He said if I became an R.C. I would be compelled to go to church every Sunday." ' Oh, good," I said. " What did you say to that?" I shall never forget his wonderful answer.

"I told him, sir, that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to belong to a church that would tell me what I had to do."

Can you beat it! Hle wanted the Teaching Church. He became a very fervent and apostolic Catholic. He was very help

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 377

ful to me in looking up some of the Catholic men who were

difficult to get at. When returning from a burial one afternoon I had a rather

weird experience. I met three men, one of whom I knew to be

en R.C. The other two turned out to be R.C.s also. They told me they were going into the line that night. As I had never seen two of them before, I suggested confession immediately.

Number one hesitated and was doubtful, the other two refused

absolutely. XVhile I was trying to persuade them, two shells arrived and burst about 150 yards from us. That decided num

ber one. " I'll come along, sir," he said. The other two still held out. While I was trying to get round them two more shells burst rather uncomfortably nearer. That decided number two. " I'll come also," he said. Number three was adamant; I could not move him, and no miore shells came to wake him up. I had to let him go. He and another some time previously were the only two who beat me during the whole time I was a chaplain.

Chaplains may be asked at any time to undertake work which is not purely spiritual and not even social work in the ordinary sense of the word. On one occasion the mess president, when going on leave, asked me to take over his job. The duties were not very arduous. They simply consisted in collecting every week a certain number of francs from each officer. (This collection varied between 50 and 100 francs per week for each officer, according to the mess you were in.) It was also necessary when we were out of the line to buy, in the French villages, anything that could be got to supplement the mess. One day, during my tenure of office, I called to see some of my Catholic men at the

Army Service Corps. The officers there asked me to lunch. At the end of the meal one of them said:

" Padre, we have just received a supply of beer. Would it be any use to you fellows?" (Beer was a drink we never had an

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378 THE IRISH MONTIILY

opportunity of getting at the front.) "; How much have you?' I asked. " A hundred dozen," he replied. " Well," I said, "cas I happen to be mess president at the moment, I'll take the lot. "

That evening, at dinner in my own mess, during a lull in the

conversation, I announced, in a very serious voice, that I had

embarked, during the day, on a very big and risky speculation, and I was by no means sure if it would be a success, They were

all, of course, very anxious to know what I had been speculating in. When I told them that I had ordered a hundred dozen of

beer for the mess they were at first almost dumbfounded. One officer inquired: " Padre, what did you say?" " I ordered a hundred dozen of beer," I repeated. Then two or three of them roared at me together:

" Padre, for goodness sake go back to-morrow and order another hundred dozen."

Beer from that day, as long as it lasted', was the most appre ciated drink in the mess.

I was very surprised one morning to receive a visit from the pay master of the division. He told me he was going on leave and wanted me to take over his job. He said his instructions were that only a chaplain would be allowed to take it, and if I did not take it he could not go on leave. He said I would have a car at

my disposal to go round, four mornings in the week, to the

different regiments and units of the division giving out money required by the officers and men. "I am leaving you," he said, 8300,000 francs, and you can go into Amiens, thirty miles away,

to get as much more as you may require it, twice a week." I told him I knew it was a very risky business, and I asked him

what would happen if I was, say, 1,000 francs out at the end. " Oh, Padre," he said, " in that case you would, of course, be liable, but as you are doing the job for me I would have to pay

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 879

up." " Well," I said, " if you are willing to take the risk I shall do my best. Go ahead. I shan't spoil your leave."

On the days of my visits to Amiens I was inundated with requests for lifts and invitations to lunch. I drew from the bank 800,000 francs during my term of office, most of which I paid out before the return of the paymaster. Ie was not liable for even five francs.

After living with a cavalry regiment for about six months I was sent to an ambulance unit of the same division. There were five doctors and myself in the mess. It is almost impossible to

believe, but nevertheless it is a fact, that we six sat down to lunch and dinner every day without any attempt at conversation, and often without literally a word passing between us. I implored one of the doctors, an Irishman, to try to liven up things. He told me he had tried several times but had failed. He said he

was sick of the place and had applied for a change. I had plenty to do every day visiting my different regiments, but the prospects of dinner and the two hours after were most depressing.

One night I dared to suggest that we might play cards. The colonel roused himself and persuaded two or three others to joirn in. I taught them to play Vingt-et-un. When they had learnt the game the colonel became most enthusiastic, especially as he nearly always won. After the second night, immediately the dinner things were cleared away, it was always: " Now then, Padre, come along; we must have our game."

When I had been with the ambulance for about three months my healtlh broke down, so I was sent to a hospital in London. While I was there I had a very nice letter from the colonel hoping

I was better and imploring me to come back soon, as he had not had a game of Vingt-et-un since I left.

That was the last I heard of the cavalry. I never returned. (To be continued.)

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