"It will serve to destroy those calumnies that Catholics are not faithful subjects": The McElroy-Rey Mission and the Limits of Patriotism in the Mexican-American War

Shortly after declaring war against Mexico in May of 1846, President James K. Polk appointed Jesuits John McElroy and Anthony Rey as chaplains for the U.S. invasion force. This appointment reflected two concerns of Polk: maintaining the morale of the Catholics who constituted a sizable portion of the regular army, and sending a signal that, in waging war against a Catholic country, the U.S. was not conducting an anti-Catholic crusade. Ironically, it was the U.S. Protestant establishment that viewed the appointments as a signal of Polk's collaboration in a papist conspiracy to undermine the American Republic, while McElroy and Rey conscientiously sought to exercise their ministry to the troops and serve as agents of good will. McElroy's age and inability to travel on horseback confined his ministry to the American base at Matamoros, while Rey accompanied the army as it made its way into Mexico's interior. With a virtual monopoly on ministry within the American forces, the two Jesuits assisted the ill and wounded, leading to scores of conversions among the largely Protestant volunteers. Within a few months, McElroy had serious doubts about their ability to fulfill Polk's charge of shaping public opinion, while the more youthful Rey retained an optimism that proved lethal. In the end, the McElroy-Rey mission had mixed results.