Four Chaplains of World War II inspire interfaith, courage

Hundreds of parishioners packed St. Stephen’s Church in Kearny for a remembrance mass honoring the Four Chaplains of World War II. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legions, Knights of Columbus, and Kearny Boy Scouts streamed in during the color guard ceremony.

Eighty-one years ago, on Feb. 3, 1943, the USAT Dorchester was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Only 230 of the 904 men on board survived. The Four Chaplains—Catholic priest Father John P. Washington, Reverend George Fox (Methodist), Reverend Clark Poling (Dutch Protestant), and Rabbi Alexander Goode—provided comfort and calm, leading the men to lifeboats. When life jackets ran out, they gave their own to save soldiers, even though hundreds would succumb to hypothermia in the frigid North Atlantic. As the bow rose and the vessel descended, the Four Chaplains locked arms, praying, and singing hymns in Hebrew and Latin in a stunning act of unity and courage long before “interfaith” became a buzzword.

“They are examples of what we can do as adults to try to make our Boy Scouts and our younger generations to give more than you take and become better citizens for society,” said John Reverendo, Scoutmaster for Kearny Boy Scout Troop 305, noting that Goode, Poling, and Washington were Boy Scouts. “The average person doesn’t know about the Dorchester and the Four Chaplains. They taught us to give more than you take. We pick up their torch and try to educate younger generations how to troubleshoot, be independent, and serve others.”

The Kearny troop honors the Four Chaplains in multiple ways. One of their Eagle Scout projects was to clean and polish the 2,000-pound bronze statue of the four war heroes created by artist Timothy P. Schmalz at St. Stephen’s. The scouts adopted the Four Chaplains Activity Patch created by scouts from Washington State 15 years ago, which entails watching a two-hour video about the Four Chaplains and taking a 20-question quiz. Troop 305 then encouraged scouts to exemplify positive impact by performing six hours of community service to earn a neckerchief honoring the chaplains.

The Four Chaplains attended Army Chaplain School at Harvard where they prepared for assignments. They were motivated to serve after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Washington had previously earned his A.B. at Seton Hall, was ordained in 1935, and was assigned to St. Stephen’s Church in 1937. He was a “forward-thinking” cleric who integrated public and parochial school children for social activities. Washington reportedly persuaded non-Jewish soldiers playing cards in the mess hall to move so their Jewish shipmates could host Sabbath services, according to an article in the “Kearny Observer.”

St. Stephen’s pastor, Father Joseph Mancini, said that it is important to safeguard and pass on the legacy of the Four Chaplains. “As we move further away from certain events in history, their importance begins to fade until it is lost or completely changed in re-telling. Telling the story of the Four Chaplains for future generations is important because theirs is the type of heroism and sacrifice we need to focus on today,” Father Mancini said. “They did not set out to be heroes, but rather did what they felt God was asking of them, regardless of the consequences.”

Nathalia Cruz, 24, of Newark, said she was unaware of the Four Chaplains’ history until she attended Mass at St. Stephen’s. She enjoys a variety of houses of worship in the region for Sunday mass for the church architecture and hymns. “I don’t have any military people in my family, but I respect all they’ve done for our country,” Cruz said.

Filled with songs, sermons, and positive messages, the event included the national anthem, “God Bless America,” and bagpipers playing “Amazing Grace.” Attendees praised God and remembered those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedoms worldwide.

Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B., Auxiliary Bishop for Union County, presided over the remembrance and noted it has personal significance since his father was a POW during WWII and earned a Purple Heart.

“Military chaplains stand by the men and women in uniform with prayer and steadfast presence to bridge the gap between the spiritual and earthly,” Bishop Lorenzo said. “They do not carry weapons, but bravely go forward with their faith in their loyal commitment to soldiers. Military chaplains foster a sense of unity and resilience not bound by differences in creed, or denomination.”

Descendants and those with connections to the Four Chaplains were in attendance. Paul Fried, 85, of Somerset, is Rabbi Goode’s son-in-law. He said he lost his wife, Rosalie, 25 years ago in a car accident.

“We used to go to veterans’ groups in York, Pa. where he was born. He was fluent in Aramaic and other ancient languages. I believe Rabbi Goode would have been able to broker peace in the Middle East today between Muslims and Jews,” Fried said.

Pat Vena, 81, of Aberdeen, celebrated her first birthday weeks after the Dorchester attack. Her father, Sam Halsey of Keyport, was among the dead. Vena carries his portrait to Four Chaplains events.  

“I only know bits and pieces about it; I was told he was in the engine room when the ship was attacked,” Vena said. “I think it’s beautiful that they do these remembrances to honor the Four Chaplains.”

Kathy Blahn of Woodbridge, whose father was the first cousin of Father Washington, noted that so many people every year get their children involved to bring the Four Chaplains story alive.

Mark Auerbach, a third cousin of Rabbi Goode, said his father showed him their commemorative stamp and made him promise never to let their story die. “I made it part of my life mission decades ago to educate people about the Four Chaplains,” he said.

After the remembrance mass, parishioners visited the Four Chaplains chapel on site and grabbed donuts downstairs as they chatted and looked at displays tracing the Four Chaplains’ history.