Role and Activity of Catholic Military Chaplains in WW1
Marking the centenary of Australia’s involvement in the Great War, Serrans have aimed to provide an account of the Australian theatres of battle emphasizing Catholic involvement by:
- providing a narrative of the role and activity of Catholic military chaplains in WW1, inclusive of the broader theatres of war – general operations and battles, etc. – and the particular lives and stories of individual ‘padres’.
- studying the general attitude of Catholics on the home front towards Australia’s involvement in the War, and the theology behind why Catholic military chaplains feel the call to serve in battle.
Such research thus utilises historical, theological, anecdotal, and biographical information garnered from a range of reliable internet sources, along with documents from both university and civic libraries and databases.
It also by necessity involves a delicate balance between a pragmatic framework, and an approach that is more empathetic contrasting statistical and operational information with a portrayal of the humanity of the men and women that served, and sacrificed for, the greater good.
