John E. Delendick

Rev. Monsignor John Edward Delendick was a Catholic chaplain with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) who comforted firefighters and their families at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. Msgr. Delendick was ordained as a priest in 1977 and served at several churches before joining the FDNY in 1996. On Sundays, when Monsignor John would lead Mass, he always made it a point to connect with children using his incredibly witty sense of humor. He told interesting stories that helped his congregation understand the message he was trying to convey. His work became especially important after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was on site at Ground Zero, blessing the bodies of those who were killed in the attack. He worked directly with firefighters who were grieving the loss of colleagues or otherwise struggling in the aftermath of the attacks, and he traveled to Ground Zero with the families of missing or fallen firefighters, comforting them as they viewed the site where their loved ones were lost. Monsignor John was a man of absolute wisdom and integrity. He was always quick with a joke and a kind word and had a way of making everyone feel special. In 2003, Msgr. Delendick was named Chaplain to his Holiness by Pope John Paul II (1920–2005). This honor came with the new title of Reverend Monsignor. In recent years, following his diagnosis, he had stepped back from regular duties while he battled his illness but continued to serve as a fill-in chaplain. His illness was linked to his exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. Just a few months before his death, he attended an annual memorial to those from the FDNY who died

of 9/11-related illnesses that year. In an interview for the Daily News, he shared this personal memory of

9/11: We were running along, and a cop is running next to me. He says, “Father, can I go to confession?” I looked and said, “This is an act of war, isn’t it?” He said, “Yeah, I believe so.” I said, “Then I’m giving general absolution.” I gave everyone general absolution, and I kept running. On Thanksgiving morning, Monsignor John Edward Delendick succumbed to his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 74. It seems fitting that he perished on a day devoted to gratitude.