‘St. John’s Boys’

PATERSON  They were known as the “St. John’s Boys:” 21 brave young men, parishioners of St. John’s Parish here, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in World War I.

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I ended as Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies. On Sunday, Nov. 11, the centennial of the end of World War I, these 21 brave men will be remembered at a Mass with a plaque rededication at their home parish, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here.

Bishop Serratelli will be the main celebrant of an 11:30 a.m. Mass at the cathedral, in which several of the families of these fallen soldiers will be in attendance. The Bishop will also lead the rededication of a plaque that was removed during the renovation of the cathedral during the 1980s. The bronze tablet honors the fallen parishioners and it was commissioned by the parents of the servicemen and parishioners of St. John’s under the direction of Dean William McNulty, one year after the war ended, in 1919. In total, more than 500 men from the cathedral fought in World War I, in which nine million people died.

Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of the cathedral, who will concelebrate the Mass, said, “One of the greatest gifts we can give to another is remembrance that people who have sacrificed so much, even though 100 years have gone by, be remembered. We need to remember these men. They are always a part of the cathedral family as we move forward and try to provide others with the same freedom and justice that they died for.”

With Msgr. Sylva, Mary Feenan Nesnay and her daughter, Mary, parishioners of the cathedral, have been instrumental in coordinating the centennial Mass. The Feenan family are longtime parishioners of St. John’s. Feenan Nesnay’s great uncle, Edward Shields, was one of the St. John’s Boys. “My grandmother, Bridget (Shields Healey), would go to Mass every Sunday at St. John’s and she would touch the plaque and remember her brother whom she called ‘Eddie.’ She lived to 101 years old,” said Feenan Nesnay.

The mother and daughter team have worked tirelessly for the past several months trying to find the families of these 21 men. They researched their lives, where they served during the war and how they died. In their findings, they learned that most of the fallen Paterson men were part of the 114th Infantry and perished during the Meuse-Argonne offensive just one month before the Armistice on Nov. 11, 1918. This battle was part of the final Allied assault and claimed the most American lives lost in the war. Some of the other men, especially those who served in the U.S. Navy, died from the 1918 flu epidemic, also known as the Spanish flu, which the war was greatly responsible for spreading throughout the world.

“It’s amazing all the connections we found about these families,” said Feenan Nesnay. “If you look them up you will see they were from Jackson Street, Marshall Street and Grand Street, also known as the Dublin section of Paterson. Irish immigrants all settled in this area around the cathedral.”

The plaque was first dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1919 by Dean McNulty. Feenan Nesnay’s daughter, Mary, said, “Anybody who served in World War I dressed in their full uniform for this Mass. Candles were held for the 21 soldiers by girls who dressed in white and also carried flags.”

For the 100th anniversary Mass commemorating the Armistice, a reenactment of the 1919 ceremony at St. John’s will be held, with the reading of the 21 St. John’s Boys’ names and the tolling of a bell for each of the 21 servicemen. Bagpipers will be present for the Mass along with local Knights of Columbus councils.

Originally known as Armistice Day, enacted by President Woodrow Wilson, and first observed Nov. 11, 1919, the day is now celebrated as Veterans Day, a change that was made in 1954 to celebrate and honor the service of all U.S. military veterans.

David Pearson, assistant director of Veterans Services at Catholic Charities’ Catholic Family and Community Services, has also been assisting in the planning of the Mass and inviting veterans to attend. “In the tradition of never leaving a veteran behind, the Mass allows us to never forget them. An important thing for veterans is not to be forgotten,” said Pearson. “From a Church perspective, we not only honor the veterans who survived, but we also honor these 21 men who gave their lives so we could live in peace and freedom.”

Feenan family members are happy to see that the plaque that honors their uncle and all the “St. John’s Boys” will be rededicated in the cathedral on Nov. 11 and that all in the Diocese can attend the anniversary Mass.

“If we don’t remember them, who will? It’s our responsibility to remember them,” said Feenan Nesnay. “It’s a torch you carry through life to make sure future generations remember them. This plaque rededication honors that.”