By Kelly Nicholaides
Eighty-three years ago, a Catholic priest, a rabbi, and two ministers taught the world about interfaith unity, civic duty, grace, and courage—sacrificing their lives in the process. Fulfilling the core mission of the Army Chaplain Corps, they served as lieutenants, providing spiritual guidance for soldiers during World War II.
St. Stephen’s church and the monument to the four chaplains outside. Photo/ Kelly/Nicholaides
St. Stephen’s Church remembrance mass led by Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau, Sunday, Feb. 1, was a tribute to the Four Chaplains of World War II. Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Kearny Scout Troop 305, and Kearny Police usually attend the event, which includes a color guard ceremony
Father Joseph Mancini said it’s a challenge to prevent the Four Chaplains’ history from fading. He said they followed their faith and service to others, regardless of the consequences. A 2,000-pound brass Four Chaplains statute on the grounds of St. Stephen’s, created by artist Timothy P. Schmalz, is popular with curious passersby. The parish serves 1,400 ethnically diverse families, many of whom learn to keep the chaplains’ history from fading, getting lost, or changed in its retelling.
“It’s important to keep repeating the story of their bravery and service,” Father Mancici said. “A lot of local people pass by [the statue], and it gives us a chance as we move ahead to not lose sight of talking about the Four Chaplains’ sacrifice.”
On Feb. 3, 1943, at 12:55 a.m., German forces torpedoed the United States Army Transport (USAT) Dorchester, killing 674 men, many of whom died in the North Atlantic. Only 230 survived. The Four Chaplains—Father John P. Washington, Reverends George Fox (Methodist) and Clark Poling (Dutch Protestant), and Rabbi Alexander Goode—calmed soldiers and maritime personnel in the chaos and led them to lifeboats. The army lieutenants gave their life vests to soldiers in need and interlocked arms in solidarity, praying and singing hymns in Latin and Hebrew as the vessel tilted into the ocean.
Their service reflects values of Scout groups across the nation, and it’s befitting that Goode, Poling, and Washington were Scouts, noted John Reverendo, Scoutmaster for Kearny Troop 305. For an Eagle Scout project, troop members cleaned and polished the bronze statue and adopted the Four Chaplains Activity Patch from a Washington troop.
The Four Chaplains prepared for assignments at Army Chaplain School, Harvard. Father John P. Washington received his A.B. at Seton Hall, was ordained in 1935, and sent to St. Stephen’s Church in 1937. Although the church has no paper records of his masses, Father Washington gained a “forward-thinking” reputation, often integrating public and parochial school children in social activities.
Congress created the Four Chaplains Medal, a one-time award in their honor.
A symbol a bravery and honor, the Four Chaplains’ parting moments were described by witnesses, according to the U.S. Army.
“Fox prayed feverently in his Methodist tradition, asking for God’s mercy and for the safety of those around him,” a Feb. 4, 2025 Armymil.com article reads. “Goode, ever faithful to the Jewish teachings of his people, recited prayers for the souls of the fallen and for the survival of those still clinging to hope. Poling, a Reformed Christian minister, asked for God’s protection, his voice steady and strong as he lifted the souls of the men who would soon face the unknown. And Washington, a Catholic priest, recited the payers of the church, invoking God’s grace as the ship tilted further and the cold waters began to swallow them whole.”
