From the Archives – Father Anthony Rey, S.J., Mexican War Chaplain

We do not know if any Saint Mary parishioners served in the Mexican-American War (1836-1848), but one of our Jesuit assistant pastors, Father Anthony Rey, S.J., and a colleague from Georgetown, Father John McElroy, S.J., answered President James K. Polk’s request for chaplains to volunteer during that conflict.

The war began just two years after the outbreak of anti-Catholic Nativist violence in several American cities. Mexico was a Catholic country. More than one-third of the U.S. troops fighting there were Catholic, many of them Irish immigrants. The federal government was concerned about the morale of its expeditionary force and endeavored to show that the nation was concerned about these troops by providing them with appropriate spiritual sup- port. Polk met with the chaplains before they left for Mexico, thanking them for serving. The Jesuit provincial also encouraged priests to volunteer, feeling it showed the patriotism of American Catholics.

Father Rey, a French immigrant, was praised for his heroism while treating the wounded and dying during the Battle of Monterey (September 21-24, 1846). In January 1847, while on his way to visit his colleague Father McElroy, a hospital chaplain, Rey disappeared. Days later, his body was discovered, the victim of an attack by bandits. He was the first Catholic chaplain killed during service with the U.S. military.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series. An archive of the features is located here.