Harold Mars facts for kids
Reverend Harold Mars (1911 – 1989) was an important Narragansett Native American Christian preacher. He lived and worked in Rhode Island and Upstate New York. He served as a pastor in several churches, including those in Kingston, Rhode Island and Rochester, New York. Reverend Mars also traveled across the United States to preach. His tribe, the Narragansett, honored him with the title of prophet, meaning he was seen as a spiritual leader.
Reverend Mars came from a long line of preachers. His family had been connected to the Narragansett Indian Church in Charlestown, Rhode Island for many generations. Besides his church work, Mars was also a skilled cabinet maker and building contractor. He even appeared on the cover of the Providence Sunday Journal Magazine once!
Reverend Mars's Journey and Work
Harold Mars went to several colleges, including Rhode Island State College, the Zion Bible Institute, and Anderson College. He became an ordained Christian minister in 1938. In the 1940s, he preached in places like Providence, Rhode Island, Peace Dale, Rhode Island, and Wakefield.
Later, he moved his family to Rochester, New York. There, he led the First Church of God for ten years. In the 1960s, Reverend Mars returned to Rhode Island to become the pastor of the Narragansett Indian Church. He went back to Rochester in the 1970s to lead the First Church of God again.
Even when living in Rochester, his family always came back to Rhode Island for the August powwow. During these visits, Reverend Mars would preach at the Indian Church on Sunday. When he retired in the 1980s, he and his wife moved to a home near the old Narragansett reservation in Kingston, Rhode Island. Reverend Mars passed away in 1989.
Family and Legacy
Reverend Mars was interviewed by a person who studied old stories and traditions, William Simmons. Mars shared stories about Native American beliefs and spirituality in New England. He explained that his father, White Buffalo, was also a preacher. Reverend Mars could trace his family's history back to the founder of the Narragansett Indian Church in the 1740s.
Reverend Mars and his wife, Laura, had four children:
- Harold S. Mars Jr.
- David K. Mars Sr., who became a chief sachem (leader) of the Narragansett tribe.
- The Reverend Roland C. Mars (1940-2015), who followed in his father's footsteps as a preacher.
- Janice L. Hill.
Roland Mars continued the family's preaching tradition into the 21st century. However, fewer young Narragansett people attended Christian churches. Many of them wanted to learn about and bring back their tribe's older, traditional beliefs.
Archival Sources
- Notes and index cards belonging to Reverend Mars are kept at the Tamaquag museum in Exeter, Rhode Island.
