American Legion Members Unite At ‘Four Chaplains Mass’ In North Jersey (PHOTOS)

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Sons of The American Legion Essex County. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Taken from John 15:13, the hymn played during communion praises that “There is no greater love, says the Lord… than to lay down your life for a friend.”

This is the account of the Four Chaplains, celebrated at a mass each year at Saint Stephens Church in Kearny, NJ; a mass attended annually by the American Legion Family of Essex and Hudson Counties.

The story of the Four Chaplains is one of service, heroism, and ultimately sacrifice.

Attendance at the mass is an affirmation of the commitment of the American Legion Family – veteran Legionnaires, Sons, and Auxiliary members – to honor our collective legacy of service, and to never forget the sacrifices of the past. It is a testament to the Legion’s heritage of promoting Americanism.

SAL County Commander Kevin Infield of Nutley Squadron 70 noted afterward that “…marching in as a unit shook me to my core …it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.”

Saint Stephens has the unique distinction of being a church where one of the Chaplains was actually stationed as a parish priest. Originally from the Roseville section of Newark, Father John P. Washington was assigned to Kearny in 1938, before his enlistment in 1941. Because of his connection to the church, there is a large statue outside of the four men standing and praying on the deck of the Dorchester, along with the Sanctuary of the Four Chaplains residing in the church itself.

The Four Chaplains - Methodist minister Rev. George L. Fox, Reform Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Catholic priest Father John P. Washington, and Reformed Church in America minister Rev. Clark V. Poling – all served as US Army Chaplains in the first year of World War II. In January of 1943, they set sail from New York along with 900 other soldiers headed for Greenland aboard the USAT Dorchester, a troop transport which was part of a larger convoy. On the morning of February 3rd, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat, with the ship sinking quickly.

The chaplains were seen handing out life jackets and helping soldiers into the water, eventually giving up their own life jackets to save other men. Survivors of the Dorchester, of which there were only 230 out of 904, recall seeing the four men standing arm-in-arm on the ship as it went down, praying and singing hymns. The chaplains all went down with the Dorchester.

As members of the “Greatest Generation”, they made the ultimate sacrifice by helping save as many of their fellow serviceman as they could - a testament to their commitment as officers and men of faith to serve their fellow man.

“Blessed are the peacemakers… in a world torn apart by war, they embodied unity across faith”, spoke Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau in his homily. “Blessed are the merciful … they placed the lives of strangers above their own.”

To honor that sacrifice, veterans, patriotic organizations, and veteran service organizations from around the area gather at the invitation of Saint Stephen’s to attend a mass in the Chaplain’s honor each year on the first Sunday in February. In a remarkable addition to that, descendants of the Dorchester’s survivors from around the country attend, as well as descendants of the chaplain’s themselves – now 83 years after the vessels sinking.

“It is so important that we do what we can to keep this story going, because it’s an important part of our history - not just because it’s national history, but because it’s church history….” said Father Joe Mancini, Pastor of Saint Stephens at the conclusion of mass. “They had the freedom to choose, and they embraced that freedom and did it with joy.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.