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Perspective
BATTLEFIELD
PRIEST
The Service and Sacrifice of Father Vincent R. Capodanno
In the words of Father Daniel L. Mode
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E XT E NS ION
The Grunt Padre by Father
Daniel L. Mode
REVEREND DANIEL L. MODE IS A U.S. NAVY
CHAPLAIN AND A FINALIST FOR CATHOLIC
EXTENSION’S 2014 LUMEN CHRISTI AWARD.
He has had many deployments in the Persian Gulf and
Afghanistan, and is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier
USS George Washington.
Father Mode has been recognized not only for his dedicated
service, but also for his advocacy for another military
chaplain, Father Vincent R. Capodanno. In 1967, Father
Capodanno lost his life ministering to Marines in the
heat of battle in Vietnam. Father Mode learned of Father
Capodanno’s heroism when he was a young seminarian.
Deeply inspired, he wrote his master’s thesis on Father
Capodanno, which, in 2000, was published as a book titled
The Grunt Padre. Because of Father Mode’s advocacy, in
2006, the Church officially proclaimed Father Capodanno
a Servant of God, formally initiating the process
for canonization.
Extension magazine is pleased to present the following
excerpt from The Grunt Padre, which provides a glimpse
of Father Capodanno’s bravery and commitment to his
men. Since 2006, Catholic Extension has partnered with
the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, providing
essential funding to support its co-sponsored seminarian
program – and help develop more dedicated chaplains like
Father Mode and Father Capodanno.
I
n the midst of this life, so far
removed from the comforts
of hearth and home, Father
Vincent offered oasis to those who
were hurting. In quiet places, a
step removed from the action,
he would stand with head bowed,
listening to the confession of a young Marine,
receiving into his own heart all the sorrow and fear
of the other. The words of absolution, marked by
the sign of the cross, were followed by comfort and
reassurance that together they would see each other
through this time of trial.
Father Vincent would then reach into the big
pouch-like pockets of his utilities and present
the young man with one of the hundreds of Saint
Christopher medals he had made. On the front
of the small nickel-sized medal was the image of
Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child across
a river, and stamped on the back were the words
“Vietnam-1967.”
Father Vincent’s gesture surely conveyed
his concern and support for the men under
his spiritual guidance, and at the same time it
reminded them of their dignity and worth as
sons of their Heavenly Father. To this day, many
Marines cherish the Christopher medal given
to them by Father Vincent.
✯
✯
✯
Father Vincent R. Capodanno, shown here with servicemen in
Vietnam, was officially proclaimed a Servant of God, the first
step toward canonization, in 2006.
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Perspective
CATHOLIC CHAPLAINS
in the U.S. MILITARY
Throughout American history, Catholic chaplains
have served on the battlefield and the home front.
Here are a few historical facts about military priests
and their courageous service.
The first known priest to have served
was Father Adam Marshall, a Jesuit,
who was commissioned as a U.S. Navy
officer in 1824, serving on the USS
North Carolina, which is pictured here.
During the American Civil War
(1861-1865), Catholic priests served
as chaplains in both the Union and
Confederate armies. A notable Civil War chaplain was Father
William Corby, CSC, who was attached
to the Union Army’s Irish Brigade. He
later served twice as president of the
University of Notre Dame. At left is a
statue of Father Corby at the Gettysburg
battlefield in Pennsylvania.
In World War II,
76 832
priests lost their lives, and
priests received
decorations and
citations for bravery.
During World War II (1941-1945),
more than 5,000 Catholic chaplains
served in the U.S. military. This photo
shows a priest conducting services for
Allied troops in England just prior to
the D-Day invasion.
Father William T. Cummings, a
Maryknoll priest and World War II
chaplain who served at Bataan in
the Philippines, is said to have coined
the phrase, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” Father
Cummings eventually died as a prisoner of war in the Pacific.
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E X T E NS ION
Lieutenant Joseph E. Pilon, a Navy doctor, aptly
described Father Vincent’s way of ministering to the
Marines in his care. After the chaplain’s death, he
wrote to Sister George Marie, S.S.N.D.:
✯ His audience was always a small group of
20 to 40 Marines gathered together on
a hillside, or behind some rocks, hearing
confessions — saying Mass. It was almost as
though he had decided to leave the ‘other
99’ in a safe area and go after the one who
had gotten in trouble.
In sacraments and signs and simple acts, Father
Vincent moved about the Marines bearing Christ’s
love to them. When day gave way to night, his work
was just beginning. His usual routine was to visit
the outlying bunkers where squads of four men in
each bunker ensured perimeter protection for the
command post of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.
Bunker duty, so vital to the security of the unit,
required constant vigilance. One of the four Marines
had to keep watch at all times throughout the night.
Sounds in the jungle are magnified and seem
ominously close when a Marine is restless and
frightened. In the thick vegetation, the distinction
between a human and an animal’s noise is difficult.
Not surprisingly, Father Vincent’s nightly visits to
these islands of protection were always welcomed.
In quiet whispers, the men told the chaplain their
needs and desires, and shared the news of homefront joys and sorrows. Father Vincent’s mere
presence was the most comforting factor of all. His
division chaplain, David Casazza, once inquired
what he did while he was out with the troops. The
chaplain replied:
✯ I am just there with them — I walk with
them and sit with them; I eat with them and
sleep in the holes with them — and I talk
with them — but only when they are ready
to talk. It takes time, but I never rush them.
Until early each Sunday morning, Father Vincent
visited bunker after bunker. Finally, exhausted, he
made his way to his tent and found a few hours of
sleep before the heat of the day began again.
t
By the numbers
BACKING THE TROOPS
Catholic Extension and the Archdiocese for the
Military Services, USA (AMS), share a common
goal: to ensure that the Church is present to the
men and women who serve our country. One of
the most critical ways that Catholic Extension
works with the AMS to achieve this goal is by
funding seminarian education – supporting men
on the path to the priesthood who will ultimately
serve as military chaplains. As the AMS explains,
“As the people in our military do the difficult
work of protecting our freedom, Catholic
chaplains walk beside them, providing the
spiritual and emotional strength they need.”
1.8 million
Created in 1985 by Pope John Paul II,
The Archdiocese for Military Services
(AMS) provides pastoral care to
1.8 million Catholics who are part
of the military.
34 seminarians
Recognizing the need for military
chaplains, the AMS in 2008 initiated
a Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program
to recruit vocations. In 2013-14,
Catholic Extension grants helped
support 34 co-sponsored seminarians.
29 countries
Catholic chaplains supported by the
AMS visit more than 220 military
locations in 29 countries and serve
veterans in 153 medical centers in
the U.S.
234 chaplains
There is a shortage of Catholic
chaplains in the military. In 2001,
more than 400 Catholic chaplains
were in active duty; today, that
number is 234.
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