In the early morning hours of February 3, 1943, the United States Army Transport ship, Dorchester, was torpedoed in the waters of the North Atlantic by a German submarine. As the ship began to sink beneath the icy surface, four men moved about the troops offering comfort and encouragement. The men were the chaplains on the ship – a Rabbi, Alexander Goode; two Protestant ministers, Reverend George Fox and Reverend Clark Poling; and a Catholic priest, Father John P. Washington.

What the chaplains did next is quite amazing – they took off their life jackets and gave them to four troops because the ship’s supply had run out. Eyewitness accounts give the description of the last anyone saw of the Four Chaplains – standing against the ship’s railing, arms linked and praying.

This brief introduction to these four men merely scratches the surface of a story of heroism, faith and sacrifice. What makes their story so important to our parish is that Saint Stephen’s was the last assignment of Father Washington before he left for the war.

Additional Resources:
To watch interview of Fr. Joe on the Four Chaplains: Click here
To read the two articles in our Winter, 2022 Newsletter edition: Click here
To visit the 80th anniversary article in Jersey Catholic, January 2023: Click here
To read more about the Four Chaplains, please visit:  www.fourchaplains.org
St Stephen's is designated as the Archdiocesan's Santuary of the Four Chaplains.