Four Chaplains ceremony to be held at Gloria dei Lutheran Church Feb. 3

The "Four Chaplains" ceremony will be held Feb. 3 at Gloria dei Lutheran Church. | website image

Posted By: David Fortier January 25, 2024

By David Fortier

A tribute celebrating the “Four Chaplains” will be held at Gloria dei Lutheran Church on Febr. 3, at 6 p.m.. The event is sponsored by American Legion Post 209. The ceremony is open to the public.

Sunday, Feb. 2 marks the 77th anniversary of the selfless acts of four Army chaplains on the occasion of the sinking of the United States Army Transport Dorchester on Feb. 3, 1943, while the ship was crossing the North Atlantic.

Struck by a torpedo from a German U-boat, the transport ship sank taking with it 672 of its 902 officers and enlisted men, merchant seamen and civilian workers, according to the website dedicated to the Four Chaplain Day celebration.

As the Dorchester sank, the chaplains were seen, arms linked, praying–after they had comforted the wounded, had directed others to safety, had distributed life jackets to survivors and, after running out, gave their own life jackets away.

The four chaplains were Methodist Rev. George Fox, Jewish Rabbi Alexander Goode, Dutch Reformed Rev. Clark Polling and Roman Catholic Fr. John Washington.

American Legion posts nationwide remember Four Chaplains Day with services that pay tribute to the chaplains and those who lost their lives the night of the sinking of the Dorchester.

The Post 209 ceremony is one of only a few held across Connecticut annually, said post commander Brian Avery.

“This is a heartbreaking story about four individuals that sacrificed everything for the well-being of others,” Avery said.

For those who cannot attend, Avery said, the service will be recorded by Nutmeg TV and broadcast throughout February. It will also be posted on AmericanLegionPost209.com, as well as Facebook and YouTube.

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