Burning Billy
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2016
Catholic chaplains of the Irish Brigade, 1862
Some confederate chaplains, no uniform regulation for them:
Well, yes and no. There was really only one duty uniform at the time, so chaplains wore the prescribed uniform, or their understanding of it. For divine services, chaplains of those traditions which wear vestments kitted up in them. There was no issue chaplain gear; it was what you brought to the service with you. There was at least one chaplain who mistook an order for dress parade and showed up in clerical vestments. (Unlike today where Uncle Sam gave me a wonderful portable Communion kit which included a wrinkle resistant camouflage stole. That's my favorite piece of clerical gear ever)
The army now has so many different type of chaplains that I seen the insignia for a Hindu chaplain and was not sure what it was. The Army has protestant chaplains, catholic chaplains, Jewish chaplains, Muslim chaplain, Hindu chaplains and Buddhist chaplains.
It's all based on the percentage of the troop population that identify as that religious preference. At the unit level, chaplains can be double slotted to help facilitate the mission of delivering religious support to the troops which is consistent with the overall unit profile. The chaplain can appoint lay leaders to minister to faith groups that are outside his or her faith group; remember the mission is to "perform or provide" religious support.
@civilwarincolor : I went to school and worked with several Jewish chaplains. Not an uncommon occurrence in the U.S.army.
Yeah. That kind of representation in the unit profile won't get you a commissioned chaplain. A good chaplain, however, will see that one of those 2 is a recognized lay leader, and resource that faith community through the lay leader. He ( or she) can also make distinctive needs known to the chaplain so that special dietary needs, or worship hours and materials can be obtained. (Jewish holy days, for instance).
I think we've had a thread on this. I will go poking around to see if I can find it.How did the Union Army deal with the Jewish holidays?
I found this.How did the Union Army deal with the Jewish holidays?