Sydney
31 August 2003
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‘Packed house’ for Mass at sea
By Marilyn Rodrigues
Attendance at chapel services aboard HMAS Kanimbla (pictured at right) always went up when the ship and its crew were about to do “something risky”, says Capt David McCourt (pictured below).
“Especially, just before the start of combat operations in Iraq, it was a packed house.”
David, who was commanding officer of the Kanimbla when it was on active service in the Persian Gulf during the recent Iraqi conflict, says he is always grateful to have a chaplain on board as an integral part of
the mission. On his two deployments to the gulf, he has had a Christian chaplain on board.
The first time it was Mons Brian Rayner, David’s friend of 10 years, who is now chancellor of the Sydney archdiocese.
Mons Rayner was the Kanimbla’s chaplain when it was part of the international coalition against terrorism after September 11, 2001.
David recalls as a special occasion the time when almost the entire ship attended a memorial service by Mons Rayner for the first SAS soldier killed in Afghanistan.
The Kanimbla had a regular non-denominational Sunday service followed by a Mass and bible study one evening a week, plus special services for Easter, Christmas and occasions such as Anzac Day.
“I find it very comforting,” says David. “It gives you confidence that things will be OK and helps you put faith in everyone else on board.
“The padres are good sounding boards.
“They have no rank so they can relate with and move freely through the rank strata and the ship.
“And if they are well-liked and respected then they can provide the captain with a window into what the troops think, the mood on the ship and how different measures have been accepted.
“For the troops, the padre is someone they can talk to, to discuss their concerns. He is a non-threatening person; just a friendly face they can talk to in complete confidence.
“The navy padres are kindly souls and give a form of comfort.
“They also provide counselling and guidance for people with issues and problems at home.”
David’s next role will be in Canberra, something he is glad of as he has been away from his young family for much of the past few years.
Getting home to his wife, Julia, an education officer in the navy, and their two children, Georgia, four, and Connor, three, after his recent six months in the Gulf was “pretty special”, he says, adding that it is hard to leave the ship after such a long time away with the crew.
“They become sort of a family, particularly when you have got such a bank of shared experiences,” he says.
Mons Rayner joined the ship in November 2001, when it was deployed in the international coalition against terrorism in the Persian Gulf.
He considers himself fortunate to have sailed with “the best commanding officer and manager of personnel that I’ve encountered in the Navy after 20 years experience”.
“David McCourt had a very positive view of chaplaincy and the contribution it makes to the welfare, morale and spiritual wellbeing of the ship’s company,” he says.
“From his first ‘clear lower deck’ (that’s when the whole ship’s company meets together) he insisted that the proceedings begin with a prayer.
“That set the tone for my chaplaincy during the deployment - welcoming, supportive and encouraging.”
Mons Rayner says that while numbers at Mass and non-denominational chapel services were not large, many people would seek him out to speak with him confidentially.
“Confidences about the anxiety of going into a possible chemical warfare situation, and the daily threats that were constant as we enforced the oil embargo against Iraq, including night boardings, were all shared with me,” he says.
“More personal, spiritual and religious discussions occurred, too.
“The death of close family back home, relationship difficulties and worries about the welfare of children were among areas the sailors freely discussed.
“At times the number on board, with American personnel included, was just over 400, and even the Americans valued confidentiality and the opportunity for confession when they visited, or when I flew out to their ships for Mass.
“The respect for chaplains in the Navy is extraordinary, insofar as they look to their priest as a confidant and friend and expect him to be a role model for those who have faith and for those who don’t.
“Sailors would freely greet me as I walked around the ship and perhaps an example of the respect is expressed in a frequent comment by some who did not worship or believe: ‘Father, I love your work’.”
That respect flows both ways as Mons Rayner holds the members of the defence forces in great esteem.
“At times there is negative press about the behaviour of soldiers, but their commitment to the values and ideals of the Australian way of life is beyond reproach,” he says.
“Their behaviour is probably far better than the behaviour of football and netball teams who represent their country and then celebrate in various ways.
“Their preparedness to serve their country and place their lives at risk for the good of the nation and peace in the world shows us what wonderful men and women we have in the Australian Defence Force.
“Any reader who’s got a relative in the defence force should be very proud of the contribution that person makes to the good of the country in the promotion of peace and security.”
HMAS Kanimbla served as Australia’s command and control centre during the Iraq war. It captured ships found to be carrying mines and took on prisoners of war.
It also secured 80km of waterway between the Gulf and the Umqusr port to allow humanitarian aid to flow to the port and be distributed to Iraq’s inland.
On board were navy, army and airforce personnel.