Memorial Francis Duffy New York

Francis Patrick Duffy (1871-1932) was a Canadian-American soldier, Catholic priest, and military chaplain.

Duffy served as chaplain to the 69th Infantry Regiment, a unit of the New York Army National Guard composed largely of the city's Irish-American population. He served in the Spanish-American War (1898), but it is his service on the Western Front in France during World War I (1917-1918) for which he is best known. Duffy and his men were sent to the front lines in France, where they participated in fierce fighting. In the heat of battle, he helped retrieve and recover wounded soldiers.
In the trenches and fields, Father Duffy led prayers and Mass. He counseled the traumatized, assisted with first aid, offered spiritual comfort to the wounded and dying, and buried the dead. He faced constant danger by staying with his men through the bloodiest battles.

Francis Duffy was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Conspicuous Service Cross (New York State), the Légion d'Honneur (France), and the Croix de Guerre, making him the most highly decorated chaplain in the history of the U.S. Army.

In 1937, New York City erected a monument to Father Duffy in the triangle between 45th and 47th Streets on the north side of Times Square, which became known as Duffy Square.
The nearly 26-foot-tall bronze statue by Charles Keck depicts the priest in military uniform, helmet at his feet, holding a Bible and supported by a granite Celtic cross. From his pedestal, Father Duffy watches over the neighborhood he loved and served.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Caroline Vinck