Titanic Clergy Nearer, Our God, Were We

Panic was setting in. Passengers desperately ran from one location to the next, while others stood frozen in place, uncertain what to do. The Titanic was steadily sinking into the Atlantic, and even remaining upright had become a challenge for those who were still aboard. Yet in the midst of this scene, eight men – five Protestant ministers and three Roman Catholic priests – reached out to the terrified individuals, granting absolution and praying with the scores of frightened persons who had dropped to their knees before them.

Quiet words of eternal reassurance were what they had to offer. While many of the passengers kept looking down at the icy Atlantic as it grew ever closer, this small group of clergymen lifted their eyes upward towards their maker. Here are their stories, including insights into their spiritual journeys, summaries of lifetimes filled with outreach efforts, and the challenge they addressed with the frightened masses who gathered around them during the final minutes of the Titanic.