Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a (usu. milit.) chaplain.

1792		in Wash. Historical Quarterly V 306: There are besides in the establishment two more Pilots, a Padre (or Priest) and a Surgeon [DA].
1827		in H.C. Dale Ashley-Smith Explor. (1918) 216: Still at the Mission of San Gabriel [...] the men commenced work again this morning for the old Padre [DA].
1859		G.F. Atkinson Curry & Rice (3 edn) n.p.: ‘Our Padre,’ as the pastors of our flocks are denominated throughout the East.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn).
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1888		Chambers’s Journal 14 Jan. 18: The chaplain, who on board ship is known by a thousand more or less irreverent names – Padre, sky-pilot etc .
1899		Kipling ‘The Impressionists’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 98: Personally, I like them immensely, and I believe I have a little of their confidence. I confess I like being called ‘Padre.’.
1912		P.C. Wren Dew & Mildew 46: ‘[I]f this is one of their gurus dbnd padres [...] what must the ordinary Sahib be like in violence and unreasonable wrath!’.
1918		L.N. Smith Lingo of No Man’s Land 62: PADRE Universal term for army chaplains irrespective of creed or denomination.
1919		Aussie (France) 12 Mar. 2/2: Church Parade was on [...] Dopey thought that he’d go to Pardre’s Workshop for a rest.
1922		‘Sapper’ Black Gang 383: Here I remain [...] until the blighter and his padre pal break covert.
1936		Mencken Amer. Lang. (4th edn) 573: The greater part of the American vocabulary came from the Regular Army, and some of it was of very respectable antiquity, e.g. [...] gold-fish (canned salmon), gob, leatherneck, padre, chow and punk (bread).
1944		P. Kendall Dict. Service Sl. n.p.: Padre . . . chaplain.
1949		L.A. Times 8 May III 6/6: In this sense the padres of this mission greet you with a hearty welcome [DA].