Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1941-1945

aplal k Builds Cathedral With aSaw 1 2 Hammers 1 Driftwood (Continued trom Page 1) seed having been sown, God, build the church. Nature had al- know, will give the increase. ready ·easoned the wood anc!._ we Mother's Day did the rest. The altar is made of The g-ood Lord poured out His matched mahogany on which we graces in abundance on Mother's carved a celtic cross and an alpha Day. We made a concerted effort and omega, and then we made our to bring back all the lost sheep own stain out of gasoline and tar. and with the help of many a fer- The whole effect is beautiful as vent sergeant we succeeded rather the altar contrasts strikingly with well. Some of them had to be the antique effect of the interior helped along by muscular chris- walls, these we left in their sea- tianity, but that too has its place soned, weather-beaten condition. in the Army. Since I usually hear The mahogany by the way came confessions under the trees or in from the salon of the wrecked gun-positions I am constantly ship. The idea of course is to amused by the comments of the make the altar the focus of atten- eleventh hour penitents as they go tion and in this I think we have back to their waiting buddies with f succeeded. In solving the problem the words, "Gee, that wasn't so of seating capacity I think we have tough, but, boy, was I scared!" something quite new in church And then next week they show up architecture. It was out of the with stray sheep-their convert- question to build a church big and proceed to encourage him enough for the attendance on until he too has been washed Sundays for !l- building that size clean in my saving absolution. On would be a ·fine target for our the Saturday before Mother's Japanese prethren. So this is Day I started to hear confessions what we did - we built sliding at two o'clock in the afternoon -..t;..............

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doors that enclose the church dur- and I finished at eleven that night Smith, Mary Margaret Cummings, Mary Lorraine Johnson, Irene Faas, Ger- ing the week days when I am gone only to arise at five-thftty the next rrault, Yolanda Elias, the Most Reverend Bishop, Jean Marie Jermy, Mar- and convert it into a private day and start all over again. When I Rechtsteiner, Mary Lucille Kelly, Patricia Rose Thomas, Mary Isabelle chapel for the soldiers personal I had finished my three masses ula Kelley, Virginia Elizabeth Gruver, Ann Marie Jackson, Mary Virginia visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and was breaking my fast around llison Clarke, Mercedes Elia,, Mary Josephine Adam,, Elizabeth Chaote this accommodates approximately noon I don't think there was a r, Carol Marit Occhinero, Katherine Moebus, Sybil Josephine Chapman, forty, then on Sundays the doors "stray" left in the whole sector. Lois Marie Lattimore, Theresa Catherine Walsh, Betty Ann Frank, Mar- disappear and the entire church is At one of my masses the boys race, Marcella Theresa Malarkey, Marcella Lucille Dzajic, Carmen Mar- thrown open and thus upwards of organized a choir and sang those Helen Cecelia Gorski, Margaret Angela Mulhern, Merle Francea Worth- five hundred can hear mass at beautiful old hymns to the Bless- once. In other words the front end ed Mother that you love so well. b-c:;---:::;-:;~=--;:= 77 »-=i-:sp2_7p77====,-,.,,==.f)?)f;pp;;:-::-==,,,.,.-- of the church comes off and the All in all, it was a big day, thanks soldiers can hear mass under the be to Go.d. trees in perfect comfort and at the same time they make it harder

Happy Death I am grateful for your offer of assistance but there isn't much that I need since our life here is stripped of all but the essentials. The holy oils will be appreciated 1 as I have been using last year's I right along. There is one thing,

for the Japs to machine-gun them. The idea of being bombed and shot at while attending holy mass is p1·obably an innovation too, but then we must be practical.

, Seed Sown

Pardon my unseeming pride in however, cannot get the new St. Joseph's but it was enough of and that is prayer. I great fun to lick each construction have made a special point of im- problem as only the building of a pressing the soldiers with the church in the war zone can pre- necessity of praying for each other sent. I intend to assure Father for the grace of a happy death, Hurd that I have no designs on and also for the wayward breth- his job when I return, after all ren. With you augmenting these imitation is the sincerest flattery. petitions we are ready for any- This church like yours iR dedicat- thing. ed to the glory of God and the With kinde~t reg·ards to all back honor of St. Joseph a d it will home and begging your episcopal to bring the men closer to the Respectfµlly yours, haye only one purpose. an:d that is blessing, I am that we

, His Excellency, The Most Reverend Bishop Charles F. Buddy, D.D., Barbara I Froude, Mildred Velasquez, Carmen Wallis, Beatrice Romero. Second -Chaplain Kenneth G. Stack I Richard Riddell, Very R~v. Francis C. Ott, V.F., Rev. Michael A. Keane, Milton B

Blessed Sacra1;nent ·and foster fre- quent co1:nmunion. At least when I am gol)e from this sector there will be 'ta~gible evidence of the

Headquarters Detachment

A P.O 915

San Francisco, Calif.