Miakonda's Interfaith Chapel
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The Four Chaplains of WWII

Miakonda's Interfaith Chapel, also, The Four Chaplains of world war two. ⚜️. , Miakonda's Interfaith Chapel. The chapel that sits on the shore of Lake Sawyer at Camp Miakonda was constructed in 1963 and was named "The Interfaith Chapel". Members of the construction committee included Richard Anderson who oversaw its construction and James Morris who was the designer and architect. There were representatives from three faiths on the committee as well, representing the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish communities in Toledo. They included Fr. Robert Kirtland, Paul David, Ernie Solomon and Msgr. Jerome Schmit. The roof of the chapel is made of three separate roofs of different levels that combine to make one overall, symbolic of the three different faiths working together for the common good. The tall steep pitch of the roof is typically symbolic of praying hands. The Chapel was built by volunteers and dedicated on June 15, 1963 during the Protestant Scout Retreat. The first Toledo Council Catholic Scout Retreat was was held in 1943, the first Toledo Council Protestant Scout Retreat was held in 1950 and the first Toledo Council Jewish Scout Conclave was held in 1966. The Interfaith Chapel was renovated in 2007 in memory of the Four Chaplains of world war two, who allowed others to live through their sacrifice. Three of the four chaplains were Boy Scout leaders before the war. The hillside concrete camp logo across from the Chapel was also built in 2007., The Four Chaplains of world war two. On Feb. 3, 1943, the U. S. transport ship Dorchester torpedoed by a submarine off the coast of Greenland. Only 230 of the 902 men survived. On the Dorchester were four Army Chaplains; Lt. George L. Fox, a Methodist pastor; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, a Jewish Rabbi; Lt. Clark V. Poling, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, and Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic Priest. Reverend Poling, before he left, had asked his father to pray for him; "Not for my safe return, that wouldn't be fair. Just pray that I shall do my duty, never be a coward and have the strength, courage and understanding of men. Just pray that I shall be adequate." In the early hours at 1 am, a torpedo hit the Dorchester. Many were killed or wounded. With the power gone and arctic sea water coming in, the ship began to sink and chaos reigned. The four chaplains provided calm during those minutes of great fear and anxiety. On the deck, the four chaplains handed out life jackets to men who stood in line without one until there were no more, then each of the chaplains took off his own life jacket and gave it to the next person in line, dooming themselves. Amidst the terror and screams in the darkness the four chaplains braced themselves against the railings as the doomed ship slid at an angle into the frigid water. The four men were last seen praying individually while locked arm in arm, as they and the ship slipped beneath the sea.