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.‘Ret.-wt
(Dalia-ole!‘
in the hands oi'n-iillions oi young Catholic men in our armed iorces
lies the iuture oi the Catholic Church in the United States. Who can
tail to visualize the tremendous iniluence oi these iuturo heads at
Catholic iamilies in the Church. the community and the Nation. in a
post-war America? To thinking men oi vision. the prospect otiers to
the Church not only a challenge. but a glorious opportunity.
Theaorviceman oi today is a serious-thinking young man. He is
<1 little puzzled. He is wondering what kind oi a deal he is getting out
oi liie. What sort oi a mess has the preceding generation made oi
things? Has he been let down badly? There must be something
radically wrong somewhere. As a child he was a mystified witness oi
the excesses and debaucheries oi the Prohibition Era in the wanton
‘twenties. As a boy he experienced the misery and poverty caused
by the senseless economic disaster oi the depression in the early
’thirties. And now he has to go to war. Where? All over the world.
What is the meaning oi it all? Whose iault is it? Can something be
done about it? When the war is over. can anything be done to
prevent the recurrence oi such events? What is he going to do about
it? He is not quite sure. All he knows is that he is going to do some-
thing. Yes. deiinitely. the returning serviceman is going to do some-
thing. Nor is he unaware oi the iact that he has the power to do
something.
The iundmnental cause oi the disaster to our Nation and to the
world was the reiection. or at least the ignoring. oi God and oi His
Divine Son. Only through a return to the teachings oi Christ can
peace. social and international iustice and economic stability be
returned to a distraught world. Can we get that trut over to our
millions oi servicemen? Can we enlist their active help as Soldiers
and Apostles oi Christ in the post-war American scene? What a
glorious opportunityl
The Catholic serviceman is the pride oi his Chaplain and the
glory oi his Church. Comparisons are odious. but it is saie to say
that this nation has never produced. in all its history. a better type of
young American. Catholic manhood. There is no need to elaborate on
this. Ask any Chaplain. He is not solt as a product oi a decadent
race. His liie has not been easy. The want and poverty oi depression
days have taught him many lessons. He has learned to appreciate
the truth of Christ's saying. “Not on bread alone doth mcm ' . "
Liie presents many puzzles to him and he is sincerely looking ior the
answers.
ary training aims at developing the military virtues oi
respect ior authority. obedience and loyalty. To prepare him ior
modern war there is also developed in him. through hard schooling. a
spirit oi initiative. aggressiveness and seli-reliance in personal com-
bat. l-Io learns the lesson that victory is not won by deiense. but by
vigorous otiense and daring initiative. Imagine millions of American
Catholic laymen working in a crusade ior Christ and His Church-
men with such training. their energies directed to a war against evil.
iighting under the banner of Christ the King. In a post-war world
these men will be looking ior a CAUSE and a LEADER. Are we ready
to supply them? Or will some “ism" supply them‘!
am convinced that these men are ready and willing to iellow
I
the banner oi Christ and devote their lives to His cause providing that
we do not iail them. At present, they have a deep conviction that they
. are engaged in a struggle. not merely ior their Country. but ior their
God. They appreciate the cost oi the sacrifices they are maldng and
will make. Ii necessary. they are ready and willing to make the
supreme sacridce. Our- Chaplains are inspiring them with the assur-
ance oi the spiritual value oi their sacrifices, and are directing those
sacriiices to the honor and glory oi God. and to the salvation oi their
The Catholic serviceman is convinced that he is on God's side-
that he is lighting ior God as well as ior his Country. and coniidently
places himseli in God's hand . devotion to his religious duties is
prooi oi that. The Government making him a fighter. the Chaplain
maldng him a sainL Think oi itl Millions of fighting saintsl
Through the combined eliorts oi the Chaplain and the post-war
pastor these men can be enlisted to play a deiinite rot in the lilo oi
the Church in the United States. By their military service they are
already making a ninety per cent. sacriiice. Chaplains urge. them to
spirittralise that sacrifice and. by striving ior personal holiness. to
o hundred per cent.-a complete sacriiice oi sell to God.
Turn’ their military virtues into spiritual channels. their military training
to a spiritual as well as a military ohlective. They should be exhorted
not only to a liie oi personal holiness. but also to an apostolic seal
among their lulre-warm iellow servicemen and non-Catholics. Soldiers
of Americal Soldiers oi Christi ‘
Prior to release irom service. let the Chaplain prepare the men to
take their proper place in their home parishes. While victory is attained
over the military ice. the war ior Christ. and against Satan. still goes
on. “in doiiing the service uniform. do not be a deserter irom the
cause oi Christ. Go back to your parish to take your place as militant
Catholics under the leadership oi your pastor." For six months in fr
series oi sermons and instructions the Chaplains can prepare their
men ior civilian parochial liie.
The pastor should publicly and othcially welcome the serviceman
back into the parish. and thank 'm ior service rendered to the Nation.
to the Church. to God. Give him all due honor as a hero oi the
Nation and oi God. Enroll him in the most important societies in his
arish.
This oiiers the Men oi Malvern a challenge also. Here. in this
Archdiocese. St. Iossph's-la-the-Hills will be an intermediate camp to
help our boys. who have carried the Stars and Stripes through military
combat. to adiust themselves to civilian liie. and to prep om-
sslvss to carry with equal heroism the Banner oi iosus Christ in the
bat life. I am sure that as Men oi Malvern you will not miss your
golden opportunityl
MEN of MALVERN
Men of Malvern Mourn Loss of ,
' Three Gold Star Refreatahfs
Three additional gold stars
were added to our Service Flag
this month as we received, with
‘sorrow,’ the sad news of the
Lieutenant Msrco
deaths of three Men of Malvern
on the battlefield.
Lieut. Peter J. Marco, mem-
ber of the Dur"' "chickling
Group, was killed in action in
Germany on September 20,
1944, sccording to reports just
received.
The licutensnt wss an in-
fantry officer who took part in
the St. La campaign and went
all the way to Germany. It is
assumed that he lost his life
near Aachen. lie was an at-
torney previous to his entry into
the armed forces.
In is recent letter to Mrs.
Eleanor C. Msrron, wife of
Lieut. William A. Marron, mem-
ber of C. A. Captain Bob O'Con-
nell's Group, Captain Charles
G. Bamdt, said:
“William was commanding a
rifle platoon. He ordered his
platoon to, advance in attack on
a town in Belgium.. Enemy re-
sistance was moderate, but be
secured his objective which al-
lowed other troops to sdvance.
It: was during this action that
he lost his life.
“By his aggressive and de-
tcrmined leadership, and by his
sll-out effort in his attack, as in
Lieutenant Marron
every one in which he had par-
ticipated, he successfully took
his objective with very few
casualties among his own men.
“William was known as an
0illCEI' of courage with the ut-
most devotion to duty,”
Meier Polk
Major Willis D. Polk, member
of Captain M. F. Donovan’s Pos-
tal Men's Group, was killed in
action in Italy on February 8.
Willis was the first Negro
oiiicer to graduate from Odice:-rs’
Training School at Ft. Benning,
Ga, and the General Staff ,
School at Ft. Leavenworth,
Kansas.
He is survived by his wife,
Dorothy; a daughter, Janice;
snd mother, Mrs. Geneva C..
who resides in Our Lady of ‘
Victory Parish.
Solemn Requiem Mass was
celebrated in the Church of St.
John the Evangelist on March
23 for the repose of his soul.
The Mass was arranged for by
the postal organizations of
which he was a member, includ-
ing the Postal Men of Malvern.
The sermon was delivered by
our Retreat Master,.Dr. Gib-
bons.
May they rest in peace!
l
Fred 1. Bolt m-.cm.. p
Among the Retreats which are
approaching their twenty-fifth
anniversaries at Mnlvern is that
of the April 6 group, captained
by Fred J.wBohrer. It was be-
gun in the early days by Col.
Edward J. Meehan, who after-
wards hccame chairman of the
Captains’ Association and. re-
linquished the captaincy m but
never his afhliation - to John
Martin. Later Gene Reiley, of
happy memory, took over the
reins and for ten years carried
the banner to new heights each
year. When ill health caused
his retirement in 1940, Fred
Bohrer assumed the didicult
task of following along, and the
record he has made speaks for
itself.
With a new date this year,
Fred is looking for big things
and expects to have close to a
cspscity attendance when the
supper bell rings on Friday eve-
ning.
John .4. Norman Group
Imbued with that fighting
spirit that is looked upon as
synonymous of every son of
Notre Dame, Hon. John H. Nee-
sorl, Board Director and member
of the lcsgue’s Planning Com-
mittee, expects to surpass even
last; year's high of 145.
This will be the fourteenth
consecutive Retreat for this
group, which Captain Necsori
says has become spiritually bet-
ter each season, until last year
when he claims they made the
Gihho
MEN OF MALVERN is published monthly by Ki’I‘l)Ll
. ns. .
Rinsnhouu 9i-71-917). Rev, isms: W
n
ll
simiprinn mu: ans yu.-mu rants: three
5
Eltruuvs Editor blew. r‘>e Fv-9 el ssrh month.
Insdn thr A0 1:! Much! I179
best’. Retreat in their history.
The group held its organization
meeting in the Engineer ' Club,
and, typical of men of that ilk,
they evolved plans which have
been running smoothly ever
since, and which they look to to
make the Retreat of April 13 s
new beacon.
Wilmington Group
Thomas W. Illulrooney, Capt.
Though famed as leaders in
the “Blue Hen Stave,” there is
nothing blue sbout the attitude
of the men who, under Captain
Thomas W. Mulrooney, will
make their annual trek to Mal-
vern’s hills on April 20. Indeed,
according to the reports in
headquarterspthe task of the
captain-who also is a board
member and a member of the
guiding Executive Committee-
has been to keep the men with-
in bounds. The fame of the
group under this wise leader-
ship, and with the spprobation
of the Ordinary of the Diocese,
has spread throughout the en-
tire state, until the more an-
nouncement: of the date has
brought an avalanche of res-
ervations. We look forward with
keen interest to the coming of
this group.
Drtrkin-Scliickling Croup
Although April is looked upon
as the month wherein Nature
begins to primp herself for the
glories of spring snd summer,
with the Men of Mslvcrn it is
also the month that marks ris-
no -
1"
E
%:
E
at
5
a.
mop rnor
Associate can-z; mm E. reen. sum
yurv-one dollar. s;...1. copin-
Entxred ss muss clue
With Retreats of April
ing anniversaries among the old
time retreat groups. The Re-
treat of April 27, now under the
co-csptaincy of Thomas A.
Durkin and Andrew J. Schick-
ling, Jr.,’ was begun hack in
the middle twenties when Joseph ’
L. Durkin, father of the present:
captain, was treasurer of the
league and one of the pioneers
who went about from parish to
parish seeking to interest any
handful of men to listen to the
story of St. Joseph's-in-t.he-
Hills.
It is xi far cry since those
days, and last: year this group
was forced to cancel many of
the reservations made because
there was no room in the Retreat
House. The prospects this year,
according to the Retreat lead-
ers, are for another bang-up at-
tendance, which means that the
first: reservations in will receive
consideration.
Iohn Green. Author
An interesting story by chair-
man of the captains, John E.
Green, appeared in the March
11 issue of The Sunday Visitor.
It was an interview with Mrs.
Quezon, widow of the lsbe presi-
dent: of the Philippines, which
she gave to John after her Rae-
treat at the Convent of Our
Lady of Prouille, Elkins Park.
Mrs. Quezon described their
thrilling escape from the Philip-
pines in a submarine and plane,
and the return to the Faith of
the great Filipino leader.
I Week-End Retnsr l4s[us st 1523 Arch Saver. Philadslphls 3, Fe. Tslrphoas,
hn . Sullivsa,S'Preei-ire ' Wdlkm Le a -
5.. (ran. Arridu 1.. pusx.r.3:i must 2,. ...1>mm.4 to an
...m Jsausry 5. 1942, u the P... or... .: Philldslphis, rm...
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