The FDNY honored Chaplain John E. Delendick with a World Trade Center plaque dedication at Engine Company 257, Tower Ladder 170, and Battalion 58 in Canarsie on Friday, the first anniversary of his line-of-duty death. Delendick, who joined the FDNY in 1996, died on Nov. 22, 2023, after a battle with 9/11-related cancer.
Delendick arrived at the World Trade Center shortly after the second plane struck and survived the collapse of the towers. Over the next eight months, he dedicated countless hours to escorting families to the site, officiating memorial and funeral services, and supporting the loved ones of those who perished. For years, he was a beloved presence at FDNY events.
“The chaplaincy in this department is very important to me, and it’s not just because I knew Monsignor from my time as a trustee of the foundation, which I think all of you know I’ve been a part of for a long time,” said FDNY commissioner Robert Tucker.
The commish remarked on how many people had traveled to honor Delendick on Friday.
“And that’s the FDNY that I have found in the first 102 days of being the Fire Commissioner,” he said, “And that’s why I love my job so much, and I’m so honored to have this role as your commissioner.”
Tucker shared memories of the late monsignor.
“On good days, he was a friend and a confidant, quick with a joke and a jab. It’s not uncommon to find him sitting in the kitchen, just hanging out. He understood that this department needs that, and he lived it every day,” he said. “When Monsignor Delendick came to the Fire Department as a chaplain in 1996 — a job he loved and cherished —with his quick wit and sharp tongue, he easily blended into the department and with the members, and he was a favorite among them.”
First Deputy Commissioner Mark Garrett also reflected on his friendship with Delendick.
“He was always there for me. When my dad had a serious stroke, he was there to give him last rites,” he said. “My dad lived for seven years after that, and when he passed away, Monsignor was there to say the funeral mass. He loved the FDNY, and we loved him.”
Born on September 4, 1949, in Queens, Delendick was ordained a priest in February 1977 at St. Sebastian Church in Woodside. Committed to serving others, he joined the FDNY as a chaplain on May 15, 1996. Over the years, he served in various churches across Brooklyn, leaving a lasting influence on communities in Fort Greene, East Flatbush, Carroll Gardens, and Sunset Park.
Even while battling cancer, the monsignor continued his chaplain duties, officiating at funerals, attending plaque dedications, and providing comfort to those in grief.
Garrett shared another “very personal story” to him and his firehouse — FDNY Engine 214/Ladder 111 in Bed-Stuy — recalling a time when firefighter Chris Wheelhan from Ladder 111 had a heart attack on the job in Marine Park. Before Wheelhan passed away, Garrett said he and his colleagues were gathered at his bedside at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital.
“We’re standing there and [Wheelhan’s wife] Mary leans into me and she says, ‘I really would like a set of rosary beads.’ And I said, ‘Okay…Monsignor should have some.’”
Garrett recalled asking the monsignor for rosary beads, but, true to his nature, he sometimes turned down his hearing aids.
“He leans over and says, ‘Sweet peas?'” he said to chuckles. “I think it’s a great reflection of who he actually was for this department and what he meant to us.”
Retired Captain Robert Roth also shared some funny memories with the monsignor.
“He would always come for dinner. Engine 257 and Tower Ladder 170 was his favorite firehouse. He was on call for the firehouse 24/7 — there for them through the Vandalia Avenue fire, Steven Pollard’s line-of-duty death, and the fire that claimed Timothy Klein,” he said.
“He would just love to stop in, have a cup of coffee, and sit here with the members. He loved that Canarsie always gave him what we call ‘dinner and a show,'” Roth went on. “We’d break each other’s chops. You know, we had a few characters pass through here, and someone would usually start a story and look at Monsignor John. They’d say, ‘Forgive me, Father,’ when a story started.”
