A Senior Priest Reflects: The Holy Eucharist and Vocations

My ordination to the Priesthood by the Most Reverend Francis P. Keough, May 22, 1937 was just over and each of the new Priests went down to their families to impart their first blessings.

After blessing my mother and father and brother and all the relatives and friends, something wonderful happened. As I was blessing my cousin, Bill Palmer, he said in a happy voice, "Fr. Paul, I just found my vocation! I hope to become a Priest! Six years later he did become a priest and later was the founding Pastor of Our Lady of Mankind Parish in North Providence.

My first assignment was St. Francis of Assisi, Wakefield, with Fr. James Greenan as Pastor. I became Assistant Chaplain along with Fr. Greenan of Rhode Island State College (now URI) in Kingston. We founded The Newman Club back in those days and this assignment helped me very much as I entered the US Navy as Chaplin in 1943 and the ages of the college students and the Sailors and Marines were the same.

In the Navy my first assignment was to Kodiak, Alaska, the only priest with over 20,000 troops and a few months later with an additional 2,000 troops from the Army, Fort Greely, in the immediate area.

We established a "24 Hour Adoration" for each First Friday, which was most successful. Out of it we had a sort of "small seminary". Two Army soldiers saw me after a Mission I preached at Fort Greely at the request of Msgr. Conway, Chaplain there, and they felt they would never become priests as was their hope since they were in the Army. So we set up a program for every Sunday night from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM with ½ hour periods of Latin, Greek, Church History, Scripture, and even Public Speaking. Some o f the Navy men joined us and we were 8 in all. Two later became Priests and one a Franciscan Brother.

After Alaska I was assigned to Jacksonville, Florida and from there to Japan with the 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. After about three months, the unit was transferred back home and I was sent to 1st Marine Division, Tiensin, China. What I remember most of the China duty was a Mission we held for the Marines at St. Louis Church, Tiensin. Father Regis Boyle of the Passionist Fathers in Beijing preached in the Mission with 325 the first night and 650 attending on Friday. It was most successful.

On returning to the States, I was assigned to the Naval Air Technical Training Center, Memphis, Tennessee. There we began 24 Hour Adoration with the Serra Club and many vocations resulted.

After Memphis I was assigned to Military Transports to Japan and Korea. As the Korean conflict began, I would have confessions aboard ship from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, especially as we neared the war zone.

Next was the Naval Training Center, San Diego. Bishop Buddy would have Confirmation for us every First Sunday of the month and we would prepare the Sailors and the Marines, around 200 altogether every month.

Next was the assignment to the USS Intrepid (CVA 11). We had a little Chapel just off the hanger deck for visits to the Blessed Sacrament and for Confessions.

Next was the US Naval Medical Center (Naval Hospital in particular) at Bethesda, Maryland for 3 ½ years visiting the sick and bringing them Holy Communion and anointing the seriously ill.

Finally on discharge July 1, 1971, I was assigned to St. Mary's in Pawtucket as Pastor until August 1987. Again we established the First Friday Nocturnal Adoration Society, which continued for 16 years.

After retirement, Bishop Gelineau assigned me to Memorial Hospital as Chaplain for 5 years and I remained in residence at St. Mary's.

In 1992, the Bishop assigned me to Jeanne Jugan Residence, Little Sisters of the Poor, Pawtucket. We celebrate Mass every day and have activities for the Elderly.

I have enjoyed every minute of my Priesthood and that God every day for choosing me to be His priest.

Throughout all this, the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament seemed to produce the greatest results. That is why I feel that the Vocation Priests in our Diocese are pursuing the most productive path in having Adoration as the beginning and end of their programs. I remember one time during our 24-hour Adoration and also daily Adoration in Alaska, we had always hoped to fill the sheet on a stand before the Sanctuary with 18 names. When the sheet was filled with names of the Sailors, Marines, and Soldiers, something somewhat extraordinary seemed to happen. One time I was preparing for Mass in the Marine Quonset Hut Chapel and one of the sailors came to the Sacristy and was about to tell me the sheet was filled. But just as he entered a sailor from the side entrance said, "Father, I'd like to become a Catholic". The sailor from inside the Chapel, when I asked him what he wanted, said "never mind, Father," meaning the little miracle just happened. This is just one of the many, many results fro Adoration and vocations certainly result from it.