“Life here is very pleasant and interesting, provided one does not mind being killed…” Fr John Gwynn SJ
An illustrated talk to mark Armistice Day on Jesuit chaplains from Cork who served in the First World War.
Chaplains in the First World War served alongside the troops at the Front, both in the trenches and on the battlefields, exposed to the same dangers and threats. Many Jesuit chaplains from Cork were highly decorated and recognised for their exceptional bravery by both men and commanding officers. This talk, illustrated with letters, photographs and telegrams from the Irish Jesuit Archives, will offer an insight into the experiences and thoughts of these Jesuits from Cork who expected to spend their lives in priestly ministry in schools, parishes, churches and universities – not on the battlefield.
The talk will be given by Damien Burke, Assistant Archivist of the Irish Jesuit Archives.
Damien, a native of Cork, works in the Jesuit archives in Leeson Street, Dublin. He edited Irish Jesuit Chaplains in the First World War, published by Messenger Publications (2014).