On Veterans Day, we remember the most decorated chaplain in US history. An Irishman named Father Francis Duffy, the statue of whom stands proudly in the middle of Times Square in New York.
Duffy was born in Ontario, Canada in 1871 to Patrick and Mary Duffy His grandparents had hailed from Monaghan and Roscommon and had left Ireland during the mass starvation of the 1840s and 1850s.
Duffy studied at Saint Joseph's Seminary in New York
He was an accomplished student, teacher and priest, earning a doctorate from the Catholic University of America and founding a parish in the Bronx
His later involvement in the armed forces would define his priesthood
When World War I broke out, Duffy was chaplain for the Irish American Fighting 69th Brigade, composed of men from the Bronx
Duffy was revered by the men, he accompanied them with hearing confessions and administering Last Rites
Fr. Duffy was more than just a chaplain
He was beside them in the trenches with the men and was amongst them as they fought and in many cases, died
General Douglas McArthur once said that Duffy was considered for the role of commander
Fr. Duffy was known for hosting long confession lines at the trenches and for recovering bodies from No Man's Land
Following his military career, Duffy helped politician Al Smith
Al Smith was the first Catholic to be nominated for President and was subjected to horrific anti Catholicism and anti Irish racism
Smith pointed out Duffy's patriotism to critics of Catholicism
25,000 people attended his funeral in 1932 He was described as 'a priest, a scholar, a soldier.
His name had become a household word, because of the nobility of his life and the valor of his deeds. Thousands looked up to him and he was venerated by many'
In 1937, a statue of Father Francis Duffy was unveiled in Times Square in New York
To this day, Father Duffy's statue is at the center of one of the busiest areas in the world, as a testament to his life and witness to Christ.
Fr. Duffy is one of many Irishmen who caused President Donald Trump disbelief earlier this year when he found out: 58% of Medal of Honor recipients have been Irish
Over 50% of foreign born recipients were Irish born
5 of 19 of the two time recipients were Irish
Fr. Francis Duffy is the most decorated chaplain in US history
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal and France's Croix de Guerre and Légion d'honneur
If you are in Times Square, remember him
May he rest in peace