Advertisement
Unsplash
November 8, 2025
Share this article:
Editor’s note: In this, the 80th year since the cessation of hostilities that brought an end to the Second World War, The Catholic Register goes back to its Nov. 10 and 17, 1945 issues (when this paper was known as The Canadian Register) and reprints two pieces to mark Remembrance Day: one marking the Military Cross awarded to Catholic chaplain Fr. Robert E. Lowrey, the second an editorial on the sacrifice made by those who gave their lives for their country. Photos courtesy of the Canadian War Museum and Veterans’ Affairs Canada)
It has been announced at Defence Head- quarters here that H/Capt. Reverend Robert Emmett Lowrey, CSB, a native of Ottawa, has been awarded the Military Cross for distinguished gallantry in the field during the campaign on the Western Front.
Hon. Cast. Robert E. Lowry was the first boy born within the boundaries of Blessed Sacrament parish in the Glebe to be ordained to the priesthood in that church. He is a son of Mrs. Lowrey and the late John Lowrey and was educated in Ottawa separate schools: Elgar Collegiate, St. Michael’s College Toronto, Assumption College, Windsor, and University of Toronto. In 1926, soon after his ordination, he was assigned to the teaching staff of St. Thomas High School, Houston, Texas, conducted by the Community of St. Basil of which he is a member. He remained there until 1941 when he came north to join the chaplain service of the Canadian Army. He served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany and like all devoted padres shared the front line dangers of the fighting men. Two of Capt. Lowrey’s brothers, Fred and Frank, recently returned from long service overseas. Some weeks ago he visited the grave in Germany of his nephew, L-Cpl. “Jerry” Flynn, killed in action in the last days of the war.
Father Lowrey was closely associated with the late Father Thomas E. Mooney of Kingston, the first Canadian Catholic chaplain to be killed during the war. He
acted as deacon at the funeral Mass for Father Mooney at Moerbrugge, Belgium, Sept. 15, 1944.
The following is the official citation declaring Father Lowrey worthy of this award:
“Hon. Capt. Lowrey has been with 4th Canadian Armoured Division since its organization. Attached to 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade he has had under his care the men of the armoured regiments and the Lake Superior Regiment (motor). With these regiments his work has been outstanding. A famous athlete in his college days, he brought his knowledge and ability in sports to bear in the organization and coaching of various hockey, football and softball teams.
“Since coming to Normandy in July, 1944, he has been a tower of strength to his unites — not only as a chaplain but as a man amongst men whose very presence gave con- fidence. In the hours preceding ‘zero hour’ of the famous attack on Malaise he visited, under shell fire, every man in the line, speaking to all, encouraging them and in the case of Roman Catholics hearing their confessions and distributing Holy Communion.
“As the brigadier remarked to the senior chaplain (Roman Catholic) on this occasion, ‘that man has done as much, if not more, for the success of this ‘show’ than any other officer under my command.’
“Through France, Belgium, Holland and finally Germany it has been the same story — always with the men, here dispensing spiritual consolation, there cigarettes and a kind word, carrying in the wounded, binding up wounds, taking last messages for dying soldiers, in other words, doing every- thing humanly possible to aid the men. In the battle outside Sonsbeck when warned by an officer that the Germans were only a few hundred yards forward his reply was ‘but we have wounded men there also.’ Going forward he Brough back to safety three wounded men. This chaplain has been by his outstanding courage and example at all times a source of inspiration and encouragement to the men and has contributed in no small way to the great work accomplished by his units.”
(From Nov. 17, 1945 edition of The Canadian Register.)
A version of this story appeared in the November 09, 2025, issue of The Catholic Registerwith the headline "From our archives: We remember".
By decision of our Federal Government, the same Remembrance Day has been set aside to commemorate the men and women who have given their lives for Canada in two world wars. It is appropriate that we should not separate those who saved our civilization at the price of their lives thirty years ago from those who made the same sacrifice during the past six years. The wars in which they died were but two phases of the same struggle to defend the Christian way of life against aggression from totalitarian sources. The casualties of World War II are fresh in our minds; but they should not back out the memory of those equally generous heroes of a generation ago.
We owe these individuals who have died for Canada a debt of gratitude which we cannot hope to repay in earthly tender. It is not certain that all those who died in action were fully aware of the spiritual implications in the cause for which they fought; some may have been motivated partly by the desire for adventure. But the fact remains that they gave up all they had that we might enjoy the blessings of peace. We need to be mindful of our debt in the hour of victory. It is a significant fact that the first reference of Sacred Scripture to the offering of sacrifice for the dead was to that arrangement made by Judas Machabeus, when “he sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead (of his army), thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection” (2 Mach. 12:43). Tomorrow, and frequently at other times, we do well to follow his example and join in the offering of the Sacrifice of Christ for the souls of those who died in battle, that they may be spared the full retribution for their sins, and may soon enter into eternal peace.
(Reprinted from Nov. 10, 1945, written by Fr. J.Gerald Hanley, associate editor of The Canadian Register.)
Share this article:
By decision of our Federal Government, the same Remembrance Day has been set aside to commemorate the men and women who have given their lives for Canada in two world wars. It is appropriate that we should not separate those who saved our civilization at the price of their lives thirty years ago from those who made the same sacrifice during the past six years. The wars in which they died were but two phases of the same struggle to defend the Christian way of life against aggression from totalitarian sources. The casualties of World War II are fresh in our minds; but they should not back out the memory of those equally generous heroes of a generation ago.
We owe these individuals who have died for Canada a debt of gratitude which we cannot hope to repay in earthly tender. It is not certain that all those who died in action were fully aware of the spiritual implications in the cause for which they fought; some may have been motivated partly by the desire for adventure. But the fact remains that they gave up all they had that we might enjoy the blessings of peace. We need to be mindful of our debt in the hour of victory. It is a significant fact that the first reference of Sacred Scripture to the offering of sacrifice for the dead was to that arrangement made by Judas Machabeus, when “he sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead (of his army), thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection” (2 Mach. 12:43). Tomorrow, and frequently at other times, we do well to follow his example and join in the offering of the Sacrifice of Christ for the souls of those who died in battle, that they may be spared the full retribution for their sins, and may soon enter into eternal peace.
(Reprinted from Nov. 10, 1945, written by Fr. J.Gerald Hanley, associate editor of The Canadian Register.)
Join the conversation and have your say: submit a letter to the Editor. Letters should be brief and must include full name, address and phone number (street and phone number will not be published). Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
Photo courtesy Martyrs’ Shrine
