Rt. Rev.

Msgr. Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

James Hugh O'Neill (January 14, 1892 – April 17, 1972) was an American

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

priest who served as a chaplain in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

from 1926 to 1952, rising to the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. While serving as chaplain of the

Third United States Army Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...

during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he composed the famous "Weather Prayer" at the request of the Third Army's commander, General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

Early life and education

James Hugh O'Neill was born on January 14, 1892, the son of William O'Neill and Catherine Enright O'Neill. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree (1911) and Master of Arts degree (1913) from Loyola University (Chicago), he entered

Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Roman Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter the priesthood and permanent diaconate, and educates lay men and women o ...

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

, and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on May 20, 1915.

Early career

Father O'Neill was then assigned to the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena The Diocese of Helena ( la, Dioecesis Helenensis) is the Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in western Montana with its cathedral located in Helena. The diocese was created from the year-old Apostolic Vicariat ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

and appointed to the faculty of

Carroll College Carroll College is a private Catholic college in Helena, Montana. The college has 21 buildings on a 63-acre campus, has over 35 academic majors, participates in 15 NAIA athletic sports, and is home to All Saints Chapel. The college motto, in L ...

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * ...

in the fall of 1915. While at Carroll, he was Professor of Physics, Registrar, Dean of Men, and Vice President (1921–26).

Military career

In 1926, Father O'Neill entered the Chaplain Service of the US Army. He saw duty throughout the United States (1929–1934; 1936–1942) and the Philippine Islands (1927–1929; 1934–1936), and served on the staffs of General

Jacob Devers Jacob Loucks Devers (; 8 September 1887 – 15 October 1979) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the 6th Army Group in the European Theater during World War II. He was involved in the development and adoption of numerous w ...

(1942–44) and General George Patton (1944–46) in the European Theater of Operations. During the

Patton desired good weather for his advance, which would permit close ground support by

U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

tactical aircraft, and requested that O'Neill compose a suitable prayer. O'Neill complied, and his prayer was printed and distributed to unit members:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.

When the weather cleared soon after, Patton awarded O'Neill a

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

.Michael Collins, Martin King
Voices of the Bulge: Untold Stories from Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge
2011, pages 264-265 O'Neill later served on the staff of General

Courtney Hodges General Courtney Hicks Hodges (January 5, 1887 – January 16, 1966) was a decorated senior officer in the United States Army who commanded First U.S. Army in the Western European Campaign of World War II. Hodges was a notable "mustang" officer, ...

(1946–1948) at Ft Jay, Governor's Island, New York. He was promoted to Brigadier General and became

Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army The Deputy Chief of Chaplains (DCCH) serves as the chief strategist for the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps and senior coordinating general officer for actions assigned to Assistant Chiefs of Chaplains (Reserve Component) and the USACHCS Chief of Chapla ...

, at Ft Myer, Arlington, Virginia (1948–1952). His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Croix de Guerre with Palm from France, the Croix de Guerre with Palm from Belgium, the Croix de Guerre from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the American Theatre Medal, and the American Defense Medal. He also earned battle stars for the campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.

Retirement

In 1952, Msgr. O'Neill retired from the US Army and continued his priestly ministry at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Diocese of Pueblo,

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo County, Colorado ...

. He died on April 17, 1972, in Pueblo, Colorado in the 57th year of his priesthood and the 81st year of his life. He was buried in the Bishop's Section of Roselawn Cemetery, Pueblo, Colorado.

In popular culture

Msgr. O'Neill was portrayed by

Lionel Murton William Lionel Murton (2 June 1915 – 26 September 2006) was an English character actor. Born in Wandsworth, London, he was resident at Little Orchard, Weston Road, Upton Grey, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, before his death at age 91. He was cr ...

in the 1970 film ''

Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a General (United States), general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, Mediterranean Theater ...

''.

References

* Carroll College newspaper "Prospector", May 28, 1948, * "Pueblo Chieftain", Pueblo, Colorado, Apr 18, 1972.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, James H. 1892 births 1972 deaths Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Army Recipients of the Legion of Merit 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests