I suspect that if you asked most Sailors who the Father of the Navy was, most would say John Paul Jones, who is certainly the most famous of the colonial era captains, and like today’s hero was not born in America, but in the British home islands. But only the subject of today’s story was as successful after the Revolution as during. His story is inspiring for more than his career success, because he was a devout man whose faith was demonstrated in both his devotion to duty and his care and concern for the crews he commanded. By his life he demonstrated that whenever you do whatever you do “heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” not only can you rest assured that “from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance,” but sometimes it pays off on this side of glory, too.
Faithful father.
As the sun rose he could see the silhouette of his target on the horizon. He’d been the captain of a warship for only four months, been at sea for barely a week, and now he had an opportunity to prove that the trust given to him had not been misplaced. It was a moment a long time in the making.
He was born the son of a poor tenant farmer in Ireland who had been evicted and forced to move to the coast, where the boy’s uncle was the captain of a fishing skiff. The young man took to the sea immediately and before long had earned a mate’s rating. Tall, broad-shouldered, and strong he could find a place on any crew and so he worked his way to Philadelphia, one of the few places in the British Empire where he was free to practice his Roman Catholic faith. There was no shortage of work in the American colonies for a skilled mariner.
He gained his first command in Philadelphia aboard the merchant schooner Barbados and honed his skills on the trade routes to the West Indies. Proving his exceptional skills in seamanship and ship-handling, he commanded larger and larger ships, and even set a record by traveling 237 miles by dead reckoning in a 24 hour period, the fastest known sailing day recorded in the 18th century.
At the outbreak of war he took command of the first ship commissioned by the Continental Congress—a commission signed by John Hancock, president of the congress. Now he had the USS Lexington positioned perfectly to strike his first Royal Navy opponent and wasted no time. After a desperate hour and 20 minute fight, the Lexington defeated the HMS Liverpool on April 7th, 1776 and brought her a prize into Philadelphia. It was the first of his many victories commanding 4 different ships throughout the American Revolution. He even fought and won the final battle afloat when his USS Alliance defeated HMS Sybil off the coast of Florida, near what is now Cape Canaveral, on March 10, 1783.
For his success and heroism during the War for Independence, President George Washington picked him to start building a United States Navy. The president gave him commission #1 on June 4, 1794, and the captain became a commodore and tasked to build and equip the first six frigates of our fledgling Navy. The commodore also trained the officer corps who would defend the new nation against renewed British aggression in the War of 1812. For all of his remarkable accomplishments Commodore John Barry was called—by President Washington and many of his contemporaries—the Father of the Navy.
Commodore Barry’s story is the quintessential American tale: A poor Irish immigrant who became tremendously successful, not because of who his father was or where he came from, but because of who he was and what he did. This is the unique genius of America in history, and it is still available to anyone who is willing to take a shot.
LET US PRAY
Lord God, we thank you that we live in a country where we can worship as we please, and where opportunity exists for those with the courage and energy to take it. We pray that You will continue to shed the grace of Your blessing upon America. In our times of trial, give us the wisdom to look past the suffering to the triumph, and the strength to follow step by step the path upon which You lead us. Be always our guide and guardian, for You are holy always, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
AMEN
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 