The following was written and photographed by my brother and is exclusive to America’s North Shore Journal.

by John Simmins

Tickets: $150
Tolls from DC to Camden NJ: $36
Parking: $20
Watching your son serve mass on the battleship USS New Jersey: Priceless

Boys from a Maryland Boy Scout troop serve Mass on the USS New Jersey

Troop 417 went to spend the night on the USS New Jersey last weekend. The local scout district kindly arranged to have a priest say mass at 10:30 Saturday night because they knew we would have trouble getting to mass on Sunday. I had the camera on the table and snuck the pictures so as to not disturb the mass. Charlie and another boy from the Troop (Collin ****) served. Charlie got to do things he doesn’t normally do at St. Peter’s like bring up the water and wine, ring the altar bells and help bring the vessels back. He also got to use a paten. Not sure he knew what it was or what it was for.

USS New Jersey at night January 2009

One sixteen inch gun mount on the USS New Jersey