Marine Corps Base Hawaii recently named its chapel for US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Joseph Estabrook, a Catholic chaplain who had championed the creation of a chapel to house the “roving congregation” on the base: 

In earlier years, the chapel moved to various locations around the base, never establishing permanent roots on the base’s grounds.

“Bishop Estabrook always wanted to have a permanent place for the chapel here on Marine Corps Base Hawaii,” said Archbishop Timothy Broglio…“He led the way in the creation of this chapel. It’s fitting that it is named in memory of Bishop Estabrook.”

Estabrook used his final tour at MCB Hawaii to push for the replacement of the “chow hall chapel” with the current facility, a $7.2 million project. The current chapel gives residents an opportunity to access chapel life. It can seat up to 750 people, features the biggest organ on Oahu, a $30,000 carillon in the bell tower and a new audio visual system.

The chapel has actually been open since 2006 but was not named.  Part of the impetus to name the chapel may have come from Chaplain Estabrook’s untimely death last February from pancreatic cancer.

MajGen Peter Talleri, the commanding general of Marines in the Pacific, helped unveil the name inscription.

“All Marines need chaplains.  Chaplains are always there to help families and community members, and Bishop Estabrook was no exception.”

As an interesting aside, the US Army specifically prohibits naming chapels — but only chapels — after people.  The Navy/Marines apparently have no similar policy.

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