Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (3)

Catholie Chaplain Attends piritual Needs Of Sailors Four Sets of Recruits Receive Spiritual Training from Catholic Chaplain Each Year at Station; Priest Also Attends Catholic Men at Navy Hospital Bv THE REV. W. A. MAGtTJRE, Com. t T. S. N. To shepherd an ever-moving flock of hundreds of Catholic youth at the San Diego Naval Training Station is indeed an interesting opportunity for a Catholic priest. Our boys come from cities and towns of states west of the Mississippi river. Of the 2,000 or more who are en- rolled, about 400, more or Jess, are Catholics. They are

N.\VY PADRE HAS MA...,'Y DUTIES IN SERVICE In adqition to his daily duties at the Training Station the Cath- olic Chaplain ministers to th e Catholic patients at th·e Naval Hospital. He receives a l_ist ever:,, day which gives the names of those seriously and critically ill. This requires him to be in the wards every day. Once a month when the recruits of South. Unit are moved to the North Unit he celebrates the early Sunday mass at the hospital. He is called upon frequently to perform baptisµui. marriages and to conduct fu.nerals for Service personnel. He is re- quired to be a rather versatile sort of person. On Memorial Day. last spring, he organized and directed the military field mass at th e Training Station at wf1ich His EXcellency, Bish.op· Buddy, pre- sided, and on Thanksgiving Day eve he was chairman of the Au- tumn Ball committee. He is now busily organizing the Christmas party for Navy 'children. This is a rather sketohy picture of a Navy padre's job ashore. It may give you some idea of how a priest is kept b~sy in bis peculiar apostolate with the Qolors. ne hr.:,~ every reason to be happy because he receives every sort of coopera- tion from his fellow officers re- gardless of their faith. His work ashore is interesting enough but can you blame him for yearning at times fo1· a. ·man o' war ands a cruise in the southern seas?

even reputation as a trencher-man is par excel- lence. At least once while a man is on the Station the history of the mass is told him. The vestments are exolained and a special effort is made to impart to his mind a knowledge that might help him to desire to assist at mass throw,;h an understandL.-i.g and love of this. I our highest form of worship, and J not because he is ordered to a.t- \ tend. As a military man, for ex- though his stand at attention during tl>e ele- vation of host and chalice and then they kneel for their prayers ample, the recruits customa1·ily A priest's work at a Nav::i.I Training Station is varied. There is m~c~ to do in addition t~ h~ labors m the chapel. He dehvet ,; , lectures on occasion I ' he. In fact, although there . . " • . sign ma1ked Catholic Chaplam hangmg ?v_er his _office, he serv~s the men 1nespective of creed dm - J mg the humdrum hours of th-t week. He is m his office at 9: a. m. week days and there he fmds I a pile of "fan mail" written by parents and pastors back home enquiring of their boys. Then fol- low many personal heart to heart to all re- . • crmts both Prntestant and Catho- . . is a • ,, . . • . · · · · oo about many things, including reh- gion, ships, technical schools, and We publish a weekly paper for the instruction and amusement of recruit. It is called "The Hoist." and it contains stories of the old Navy and facts concern- the matches. The Catholic Chaplain is editor and it keeps him hus.tl- ing. The opportunity for close, per- sonal contact with the recl'Uits is perhaps the chief so]Jrce of what- evei' good the Na.VY priest can achi~ve at the Training Station. But, in th.is connection it should Qe said tbat a Navy priest is al- ways elose to his men. He actu- ally lives with them when he serves on board a big man o' war. Father Raymond Drinan, attach- ed to the U. S. S. Melville, is now I serving the Catholic men afloat in San Diego bay. . talks with the boys concerne(1, . "cabbages ~ nd kings." ing the new. The men like it, especially if they discover their . names appearing as honor men of their company Or as winners of boxing b-o u t s or swimming of faith and adoration. CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN EDITS PAPER

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high school boys. most of them. and they come to us in.spired with th ' s en us1asm or ac 10n ana th · f t· . ou

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The recruit during his three weeks in South uni·t 1·s cai·e fully observed for fear he mn" have brought with him a conta first · - "J world These are important weekM It is then that a young man may have misgivings regarding a Na,,al · "· looks from the drill ground enor- mously sweet to him and he seel:s advice. The Priest usually proves to be a pretty good medico in such cases. And his lecture, "Yom· Contract," takes place about this time which, although it covers a great deal of ground and has to do principally with the meaning of aut!1-ority and discipline. it serves as an effective antidote for !1-Xamples culled from a missionary life spent mostly in Navy ships on cruises ·over the seven seas. tht! n1•1·est pr·eaches on the more 1·m - purtant tenets of Catholic faith. He remincjs the boys that it L, customary for recruits to receive Holy Communion at least once during their course of training. Each one receives a card when hQ comes to confession and he sends it home to inform his parents that all is well in that respect. A great number of the men a1;e weekly communicants. A mass is said for the South ·Unit men at 8:30 and another for the more "salty" re- cruits from North Unit at 9:30. It may be of interest to know that breakfast is held in the galley foi: Lllose who receive Holy Commun- ion. Fasting, however, does not seem to deter a bluejacket as far as Holy Communion is concerned "' · gious · disease from the outside career. Home, however humble the blues. · FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS TAUG u ,T RECRUITS 4.., Sermons nwstly on to the recruit aTe fundamentals. Using

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smart man o' wars man. Such a transformation is the aim of the Officers qualified by years of Fleet service, are the instructors and their work is done under the supervision of experienced com- I countless things a bluejacket must know but the point that is chiefly stressed at the Station is the nee- Navy man of good and strong self-respecting, staunch and loyal citizen. Hence the importance of a Chaplain's mission in the curriculum. ch a r act er, a Protestant and Catholic, assigned to the Training Station and each has his chapel. As at a Catholic boarding school, our recruits are required to attend Holy Mass on Sundays and holy days of obliga- I tion. 1 DEVOTION CONSIDERED PART OF LIFE When a recruit arrives at the Station he is taken to the South Unit where he is thoroughly gone over by the doctor, the dentist and, of course. the barber. He is given his uniform, etc., and as- signed to a company of 100 men with whom he undergoes the three month course of training. On his first Sunday the recruit fincis himself assisting at his first Navy Mass. He marches to Chapel just as he would to a lecture on sea- 1 maruihip. Even on Thanksgiving · Day this year, all hands went to church and .several men received Holy Communion. No institution could give a priest a better oppor- tunity for successful work among men than at this Station because the commanding officer, Capt. Paul P. Blackburn, lends his whole hearted support and encourage- I ment on every occasion. Training Station. Chief Petty missioned officers. There are , essity of becoming a seagoing T h er e are two Chaplains, ,

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CHARITY GROUP ATTEND WANTS 0FPOO R, Ill 1 Catholic Hospital Coz mit- / tee Organized D u r i n g 1 ij War, Still Most Active By MRS. J. L. STUART The Catholic Hospital Commit- tee, organized during the great War for charitable purposes in the camps and hospitals of San Diego, still goes about its great and unselfish work. Its first president was Mrs. Cesmat, and still active are some of its first members, among whom are Mrs. Carvell, Mrs. R. Ryan, Mrs. M. T. Kelley and Mrs. J. L. Stuart. The present president of the committee is Mrs. Stuart and the other officers are Mrs. A. H. Stuckey, Mrs. H. Rafferty, Mrs.

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