Members of the Paterson Fire Department recently held their 31th annual home-cooked Christmas dinner at fire headquarters in memory of Sister of Charity Loretta Weingart and to all living religious.
About 63 religious attended the event, along firefighters and priests such as Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard Majella and Our Lady of Pompei parishes, both in Pater-son. Father Geno Sylva, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson and vicar for special projects for the Paterson Diocese, gave a blessing. Eight seniors of DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne helped prepare the food.
Sister Weingart was like a “mother-chaplain” to the firefighters of Paterson. She served what is now known as St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. She kept vigil over injured or ill firefighters and their families as a “guardian angel.” In the 1990s, the firefighters started a dinner in her honor — an event that grew in attendance. Since her death in 2002, the department has held an annual Christmas dinner for religious, including her community, the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, and clergy.
At the dinner, religious offered a reciprocal thank you to the firefighters as front-line workers every day.
“The food was home-cooked and fabulous as always,” said Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious. “Above all, it was the family spirit and warmth and love that was shared that was so in the spirit of Christmas and ‘being neighbors’ — low-key and fun. There was so much gratitude expressed and prayers offered among us this night.”
— Michael Wojcik
