John Chapman (priest) - Conversion To Catholicism

Conversion To Catholicism

In December 1890 Chapman was conditionally baptized in the Catholic Church at the Brompton Oratory.

In April 1891 he entered the Jesuit Noviciate at Manresa House, Roehampton, (now Parkstead House) but after eight months had determined that his vocation was not to the Society of Jesus.

He subsequently entered the Benedictine Maredsous Abbey in Belgium, taking his simple vows on 25 March 1893, and making his religious profession at Whitsuntide 1895, taking the name of John.

After his priestly ordination in 1895, he went to Erdington Abbey, near Birmingham, where he stayed until 1912, serving the community as novice master and later as prior, but also frequently visiting the library of St Mary's College in nearby Oscott.

Having spent nine months at Maredsous, in February 1913, Chapman was made temporary superior of the Caldey island community (now based at Prinknash Abbey), when it entered the Roman Catholic Church in 1913-14.

On the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918), he first became a Professor of Theology at Downside Abbey, joining the many monks who had fled Maredsous to England. In early 1915, when these monks moved to Ireland, he became army chaplain to the British forces. After initial training, his brigade arrived in France in July 1915. He lived in the trenches in autumn 1915, until a persistent knee injury led to him being sent to hospital in November 1915. After leaving hospital, he first was stationed at Boyton Camp, Wiltshire, for several months, and then returned to France. At the end of 1917, he was transferred to Switzerland, where multilingual chaplains were need for the POW camps. He remained here until the Armistice.