Francis Gleeson (priest)
Encyclopedia
Father Francis Gleeson was an Irish
Roman Catholic priest who served as a British Army chaplain
during the First World War. Educated at seminaries near Dublin Gleeson was ordained in 1910 and worked at a home for the blind before volunteering for service upon the outbreak of war. Commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department and attached to the 2nd battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
he served with them at the First Battle of Ypres
. During this battle Gleeson is said to have taken command of the battalion after all the officers were incapacitated by the enemy. He was highly regarded by his men for tending to the wounded under fire, visiting the frontline trenches and bringing gifts.
On 8 May 1915, on the eve of the Battle of Aubers Ridge
, Gleeson addressed the assembled battalion at a roadside shrine and gave the general absolution
. The battalion suffered heavily in the battle and when paraded again afterwards only 200 men were assembled. Gleeson's absolution was the subject of a painting by Fortunino Matania
that was made at the request of the widow of the battalions commanding officer. At the end of his years service in 1915 Gleeson returned to Dublin and became a curate
but returned to the army in 1917 and remained for a further two years. After the war he returned to Ireland, becoming a priest at churches near to Dublin and being elected elected canon
of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Archdiocese of Dublin before his death on 26 June 1959.
, County Tipperary
in Ireland
. One of thirteen children Gleeson decided to become a Catholic priest and was educated at the Holy Cross College
in Dublin and St Patrick's College
in Maynooth
. He was ordained as a priest in 1910 and went to live in Glasnevin
before going to St. Mary's Home for the Blind in March 1912.
. He was commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department and was soon serving as the chaplain of the 2nd battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
on the Western Front
in France. The battalion, regular troops
who formed part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, were amongst the first British troops to be deployed to France, seeing action during the Battle of Mons
, and after Gleeson joined them they participated in the First Battle of Ypres
. British officer and poet Robert Graves
recalled in his autobiography Good-Bye to All That that during this battle Gleeson found himself the only unwounded officer of the battalion and, having removed his chaplain's insignia that indicated his non-combatant
status, took command of the unit and held until relieved. On Christmas Day 1914 the Munsters were in part of the front line unaffected by the Christmas Truce
and Gleeson chose to conduct a mass in one of the front line trenches that was frequently under fire.
Gleeson was an advisor to men of all faiths in the regiment and kept careful records of their names and addresses so that he could write to the families of those that died. He ended each letter with the phrase "they paid a great sacrifice", which was later used as the title of a book published in 2010 that details the wartime service records of men from Cork. Gleeson made frequent visits to the front lines and often conducted burial services there with wooden grave marker crosses that he made himself. His men said that they were always sure of a cup of tea from him when he visited the trenches late at night and he was sure to check that they were not short of ammunition. Gleeson sent requests to Ireland for hymn books for the men in the field and also bought mouth organ
s for their entertainment. One of Gleeson's men said that "he's a warrior and no mistake. There's no man at the Front more brave or cooler. Why, it is in the hottest place up in the firing line he do be to give comfort to the boys that are dying."
, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Rickard ordered the battalion to halt at a roadside shrine in Rue du Bois, near Fleurbaix
. Gleeson, who had ridden at the front of the column, addressed the assembled 800 men and gave them the general absolution
whilst still mounted on his horse. The men then sand the hymn "Hail, Queen of Heaven" before Gleeson moved along the ranks bidding farewell to the officers and encouraging the men to maintain the honour of the regiment. The battalion then moved off to the trenches from which they launched their attack at 5.30 am the next morning. The Munsters were largely cut down by machine gun fire before they had advanced more than a few yards although enough men survived to capture the German trenches, the only unit to do so that day, before being forced to withdraw.
Casualties in the battalion amounted to 19 officers and 370 men killed, including Lieutenant-Colonel Rickard, in addition to large numbers of wounded. Gleeson made it his duty to attend to the wounded and dying, comforting them and delivering the last rites
, despite German shells landing close by him. After the battle the Munsters once again assembled at the Rue de Bois, though only three officers and 200 men were found fit to parade. Rickard's widow, Jessie Louisa Rickard
, requested that war artist Fortunino Matania
immortalise the parade at Rue de Bois in a painting which centred on Gleeson delivering the absolution (Rickard is also depicted in the background). Gleeson later donated the stole he wore for the parade to the regimental museum.
Having originally agreed to serve for a year Gleeson returned to Ireland in 1915 stating that "I am sorry to be leaving the dear old Munster lads, but I really can't stand it any longer. I do not like the life, though I love the poor men ever so much". He became a curate
at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Dublin but later volunteered to return to army service. He was recommissioned as a 4th Class Chaplain (equivalent to a Captain
) on 15 May 1917 and served another two years. When the Royal Munster Fusiliers were transferred to the 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division on 29 January 1918 Gleeson remained with the 1st Infantry Division.
against superior German forces whilst acting as a rearguard for the Great Retreat
of August 1914. Gleeson served as a chaplain to the armed forces of the Irish Free State
after its independence from Britain in 1922 and later as a priest at Bray
, Aughrim
and a church in Meath Street, Dublin. He was elected a canon
of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Archdiocese of Dublin on 7 May 1956. Francis Gleeson died on 26 June 1959.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Roman Catholic priest who served as a British Army chaplain
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
during the First World War. Educated at seminaries near Dublin Gleeson was ordained in 1910 and worked at a home for the blind before volunteering for service upon the outbreak of war. Commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department and attached to the 2nd battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army. One of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, it had its home depot in Tralee. It was originally formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of two regiments of the former East India Company. It served in India and...
he served with them at the First Battle of Ypres
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
. During this battle Gleeson is said to have taken command of the battalion after all the officers were incapacitated by the enemy. He was highly regarded by his men for tending to the wounded under fire, visiting the frontline trenches and bringing gifts.
On 8 May 1915, on the eve of the Battle of Aubers Ridge
Battle of Aubers Ridge
The Battle of Aubers Ridge was a British offensive mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I.- Background :The battle was the initial British component of the combined Anglo-French offensive known as the Second Battle of Artois...
, Gleeson addressed the assembled battalion at a roadside shrine and gave the general absolution
Absolution
Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This concept is found in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican churches, and most Lutheran churches....
. The battalion suffered heavily in the battle and when paraded again afterwards only 200 men were assembled. Gleeson's absolution was the subject of a painting by Fortunino Matania
Fortunino Matania
Chevalier Fortunino Matania was an Italian artist noted for his realistic portrayal of historical subjects, including nude women.-Life:...
that was made at the request of the widow of the battalions commanding officer. At the end of his years service in 1915 Gleeson returned to Dublin and became a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
but returned to the army in 1917 and remained for a further two years. After the war he returned to Ireland, becoming a priest at churches near to Dublin and being elected elected canon
Canon
-Culture and arts:*Canon , material that is considered to be genuine*Western canon, the books, music, and art that have been the most influential in shaping Western cultureMusic...
of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Archdiocese of Dublin before his death on 26 June 1959.
Early life
Gleeson was born on 28 May 1884 at TemplemoreTemplemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. One of thirteen children Gleeson decided to become a Catholic priest and was educated at the Holy Cross College
Holy Cross College (Dublin)
Holy Cross College , located in Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra was founded in 1854 as the Catholic diocesan seminary for Dublin by Cardinal Paul Cullen...
in Dublin and St Patrick's College
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
in Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
. He was ordained as a priest in 1910 and went to live in Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
before going to St. Mary's Home for the Blind in March 1912.
Outbreak of war
On the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914 Gleeson volunteered for service with the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He was commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department and was soon serving as the chaplain of the 2nd battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army. One of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, it had its home depot in Tralee. It was originally formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of two regiments of the former East India Company. It served in India and...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France. The battalion, regular troops
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
who formed part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, were amongst the first British troops to be deployed to France, seeing action during the Battle of Mons
Battle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
, and after Gleeson joined them they participated in the First Battle of Ypres
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
. British officer and poet Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
recalled in his autobiography Good-Bye to All That that during this battle Gleeson found himself the only unwounded officer of the battalion and, having removed his chaplain's insignia that indicated his non-combatant
Non-combatant
Non-combatant is a term in the law of war describing civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, as well as persons such as medical personnel and military chaplains who are regular soldiers but are protected because of their function as well as soldiers who are hors de combat ; that is, sick,...
status, took command of the unit and held until relieved. On Christmas Day 1914 the Munsters were in part of the front line unaffected by the Christmas Truce
Christmas truce
Christmas truce was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas of 1914, during the First World War...
and Gleeson chose to conduct a mass in one of the front line trenches that was frequently under fire.
Gleeson was an advisor to men of all faiths in the regiment and kept careful records of their names and addresses so that he could write to the families of those that died. He ended each letter with the phrase "they paid a great sacrifice", which was later used as the title of a book published in 2010 that details the wartime service records of men from Cork. Gleeson made frequent visits to the front lines and often conducted burial services there with wooden grave marker crosses that he made himself. His men said that they were always sure of a cup of tea from him when he visited the trenches late at night and he was sure to check that they were not short of ammunition. Gleeson sent requests to Ireland for hymn books for the men in the field and also bought mouth organ
Mouth organ
A mouth organ is a generic term for free reed aerophone with one or more air chambers fitted with a free reed.Though it spans many traditions, it is played universally the same way by the musician placing their lips over a chamber or holes in the instrument, and blowing or sucking air to create a...
s for their entertainment. One of Gleeson's men said that "he's a warrior and no mistake. There's no man at the Front more brave or cooler. Why, it is in the hottest place up in the firing line he do be to give comfort to the boys that are dying."
Aubers Ridge
Whilst moving forwards to the trenches on 8 May 1915, in preparation for the Battle of Aubers RidgeBattle of Aubers Ridge
The Battle of Aubers Ridge was a British offensive mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I.- Background :The battle was the initial British component of the combined Anglo-French offensive known as the Second Battle of Artois...
, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Rickard ordered the battalion to halt at a roadside shrine in Rue du Bois, near Fleurbaix
Fleurbaix
Fleurbaix is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village some northeast of Béthune and west of Lille, at the junction of the D176 and the D171 roads, at the border with the department of Nord...
. Gleeson, who had ridden at the front of the column, addressed the assembled 800 men and gave them the general absolution
Absolution
Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This concept is found in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican churches, and most Lutheran churches....
whilst still mounted on his horse. The men then sand the hymn "Hail, Queen of Heaven" before Gleeson moved along the ranks bidding farewell to the officers and encouraging the men to maintain the honour of the regiment. The battalion then moved off to the trenches from which they launched their attack at 5.30 am the next morning. The Munsters were largely cut down by machine gun fire before they had advanced more than a few yards although enough men survived to capture the German trenches, the only unit to do so that day, before being forced to withdraw.
Casualties in the battalion amounted to 19 officers and 370 men killed, including Lieutenant-Colonel Rickard, in addition to large numbers of wounded. Gleeson made it his duty to attend to the wounded and dying, comforting them and delivering the last rites
Last Rites
The Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
, despite German shells landing close by him. After the battle the Munsters once again assembled at the Rue de Bois, though only three officers and 200 men were found fit to parade. Rickard's widow, Jessie Louisa Rickard
Jessie Louisa Rickard
Jessie Louisa Rickard, also known as Mrs Victor Rickard , was an Irish literary novelist. During her lifetime she became a versatile writer who produced over forty novels, some of which found a large reading public.-Early life:...
, requested that war artist Fortunino Matania
Fortunino Matania
Chevalier Fortunino Matania was an Italian artist noted for his realistic portrayal of historical subjects, including nude women.-Life:...
immortalise the parade at Rue de Bois in a painting which centred on Gleeson delivering the absolution (Rickard is also depicted in the background). Gleeson later donated the stole he wore for the parade to the regimental museum.
Having originally agreed to serve for a year Gleeson returned to Ireland in 1915 stating that "I am sorry to be leaving the dear old Munster lads, but I really can't stand it any longer. I do not like the life, though I love the poor men ever so much". He became a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Dublin but later volunteered to return to army service. He was recommissioned as a 4th Class Chaplain (equivalent to a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
) on 15 May 1917 and served another two years. When the Royal Munster Fusiliers were transferred to the 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division on 29 January 1918 Gleeson remained with the 1st Infantry Division.
Post-war
After the Armistice with Germany Gleeson returned once more to Ireland. On 4 June 1922 he attended the dedication of Étreux British Cemetery which holds the remains of 110 men of the Royal Munster Fusiliers who were killed in the defence of ÉtreuxÉtreux
Étreux is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The first major engagement of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War in August 1914, resulted in what became known as the Great Retreat during the Battle of Mons, in the course of which a strategic...
against superior German forces whilst acting as a rearguard for the Great Retreat
Great Retreat
The Great Retreat, also known as the Retreat from Mons, is the name given to the long, fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War I, after their holding action against the Imperial German Armies at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914...
of August 1914. Gleeson served as a chaplain to the armed forces of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
after its independence from Britain in 1922 and later as a priest at Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, Aughrim
Aughrim, County Wicklow
Aughrim is a small town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies in a scenic valley in the east of Ireland where the Ow and Derry rivers meet to form the Aughrim river...
and a church in Meath Street, Dublin. He was elected a canon
Canon
-Culture and arts:*Canon , material that is considered to be genuine*Western canon, the books, music, and art that have been the most influential in shaping Western cultureMusic...
of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Archdiocese of Dublin on 7 May 1956. Francis Gleeson died on 26 June 1959.