to love and serve
Introduction
In the Contemplation on the Love of God that concludes the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the grace petitioned is that one “may be able in all things to love and serve”1 the Lord. That ideal of love and service is at the heart of the Jesuit vocation and the motivating force behind whatever apostolic activities are undertaken on behalf of the People of God. That this extends to the men and women in the armed forces of their respective countries should come as no surprise. Such service has been part of Jesuit history since its earliest years.
R
ev. James Laynez, S.J., who succeeded St. Ignatius as General of the Society of Jesus, was the first Jesuit to serve as a military chaplain. In 1550 he was invited by John de Vega to accompany him and his men in a war against pirates in the eastern Mediterranean. As chaplain Laynez ministered to both the physical and spiritual needs of the fighting forces. From this experience he offered advice about engaging chaplains in the military to John de la Cerda, who had been appointed Viceroy of Sicily after de Vega’s death. “I believe that our Lord will be very well served and Your Excellency much consoled if you send some good religious along on this expedition, men who will be true servants of God and who will seek the salvation of souls. By prayer and good example, by preaching and hearing confessions, by nursing the sick and helping the dying, these men will do a tremendous amount of good. They will teach the soldiers the proper motives for fighting, keep them from quarreling among themselves, and will call them to task for blasphemies and gambling. Finally, I know that the soldiers of our nation will
really profit from this, for by their peace of mind and confidence in God they will better fulfill their 2 duties in the war.” Despite all the changes over the centuries in how wars are conducted, the role of the Catholic chaplain has remained essentially the same in our own nation as well as in nations throughout the world. And Jesuits have been leaders among those who have served their various countries with honor and distinction. Rev. Gerard F. Giblin, S.J. has documented the records of Jesuits in the United States who served in the Armed Forces from 1917 3 to 1960. Building on his detailed report, this volume focuses on Jesuits from the New England Province during World War II. At its peak in 1945, 246 American Jesuits were serving at chaplains. The second largest number was from the New England Province (54); only the New York Province had more (59). They were a part of what Tom Brokaw has called “The Greatest Generation.” They responded to our nation’s and our world’s need in the company of and in support of young men mostly,
1 The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. (New York: Catholic Book Publishing, 1956), 115. 2 Joseph H. Fichter, James Laynez, Jesuit. (St. Louis, B. Herder Book Co., 1944), 277.
6 | introduction
