Counselor, leader, friend — the chaplains who answered the call from all faiths and fighting nations in WWI
“A good chaplain is as valuable as a good general.” — British field marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Dec. 1915
The year is 1914: In media, politics and the pulpit, leaders around the world are portraying the start of the Great War as a modern-day struggle against evil. With hundreds of thousands enlisting to fight, religious guidance and leadership become priorities. Chaplains — from many faiths — answer the call to duty.
Rabbis, pastors, monks, imams, priests and more served with the fighting nations of World War I. Many were as unprepared for the horrors of war as the soldiers they served, yet strove to bring courage, comfort and compassion to millions — on and off the battlefield.
Sacred Service explores the rarely told, true stories of chaplains who armed warriors with inspiration and compassion through the Great War at its most hellish. Guiding visitors on a journey through the physical and spiritual environment of war, the exhibition incorporates artifacts, documents, film, artwork, images, stories, poetry, first-person accounts and interactive 3D digital models.
For the first time, guests will also be able to interact with select objects that have been 3-dimensionally scanned. The technology allows an individual to rotate and zoom in a digital environment, even flipping the object over in some cases. Guests can experience a preview at theworldwar.org/sacredservice.
Find a powerful view of the Great War beyond combat tactics and troop movements: the equally intense, yet singular experiences of the chaplains — whether faithful, doubting or visionary — as they counseled their legions. Sacred Service sheds light on how they provided care to souls in a war where sacred grounds and crumbling cathedrals confronted service members of every country from Russia to the United States — transforming shared hardship into hope and helping sow the seeds for a more compassionate post-WWI world.
Sacred Service is supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Sacred Service will be on view in Wylie Gallery at the National WWI Museum and Memorial beginning May 23, 2024. Admission is included in a General Admission ticket.
–National WWI Museum and Memorial
