Friday, November 5
Just in case the Innocent III action figure and the Playmobil nun weren't enough for you, I present the Father William Corby action figure. For those of you who aren't familiar, Fr. Corby was a Holy Cross priest and a chaplain during the Civil War. There is a statue of him here on campus, and a hall that bears his name. One account even says that the team is named "Fighting Irish" for his brigade.
From a page on Fr. Corby at Gettysburg: (scroll to the bottom to see the statue at ND)
"Suddenly, Father William Corby, their chaplain, turned to the colonel and asked for permission to address the men. Receiving it, he hurriedly reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple stole which he placed around his neck. Then he climbed up on a large boulder so the troops might see him. As he gazed out over the dense columns, his first concern was for the souls of these men, men who at that moment stood so close to eternity. There was no time for private confession, so he told the brigade that he would pronounce a general absolution of sins for those who were sincerely contrite and who would resolve to make a confession at their first opportunity. But as he reminded the soldiers of their duty to God, he did not forget their duty to country. He also reminded them of the noble cause for which they fought and declared that the Church would turn its back on those who deserted their flag. Finally, he stretched his right hand into the air and began to recite the Latin words of the absolution.
As he did so, every man in the brigade, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, fell to his knees. Though the battle raged around them-off to the left by Devil's Den and the Round Tops, over to the right in the Peach Orchard-for just a moment, on this part of the field time seemed to stand still. The entire Second Corps fell silent as they watched Father Corby pray over the kneeling regiments."
![[SMMMHDH]](http://www.mgilleland.com/music/smmmhdh.png){kind=small}
