St. Francis Celebrates Four Chaplains on 80th Anniversary

The Four Chaplains will not be forgotten. On Sunday, February 5, St. Francis de Sales Church held its annual Mass to honor the Four Chaplains of the troop ship Dorchester, which was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat on February 3, 1943. The Four Chaplains perished after giving their life jackets to others. Among them was Pvt. Daniel O’Connor, who lived in Rockaway and had attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. Each year, the parish remembers their sacrifice with a Mass, and a plaque remains outside of the church in tribute to the Four Chaplains.

Sunday’s 80th anniversary Mass was celebrated with the Rockaway American Legion Post 272, Breezy Point Post 1847, Broad Channel Post 1404, Roxbury New York Veterans of Foreign War Post 8540, American Legion Woman’s Auxiliary, Cub Scout Pack 147 and members of the community.

Photos by Brian Galarza.