Parish sparks firemen by visit

She told him it was a place where firemen went to stay when they got sick. When he asked why, she explained that sometimes they can't take care of themselves, and need help from doctors and nurses, so they go to live at the Firemen's Home.

After listening to his mother's explanation, Casey got an idea: He wanted to visit the sick firemen.

Hot idea

She approached Rev. Theodore Gerken, pastor of Resurrection parish in Germantown, where the family are members. He thought it would be an excellent idea to visit the firemen with Christmas gifts. He contacted the staff at the home and made arrangements for some of the children from the parish's religious education classes to stop by.

"We made some three-dimensional decorations from construction paper, and the religious education classes made Christmas ornaments for the firemen's tree," Mrs. Dolin told The Evangelist.

Warm hearts

As echoes of "Silent Night" and "The First Noel" filled the air, the library awakened with holiday cheer, and smiles began to show on the faces of the men. Twinkling lights on the Christmas tree reflected the joy in the room as voices, both young and old, sang familiar words that brought back memories of Christmas past for some and evoked anticipation of Christmas present from others.

"I think we sang just about every Christmas carol there is," recalled Father Gerken. "We were there for about an hour, and it was a wonderful time for both the children and the firemen. Everyone really enjoyed themselves."

Fires of love

The angels were made by pre-schoolers and kindergartners who had traced the image of their hands on paper and then decorated the angelic outlines.

"Those angels were really a big hit with the men," Father Gerken said.

While Casey Dolin got his wish to visit the firemen, the residents of the home were the ones who received the special blessing.

"Anytime you see a fella confined to a wheelchair give you a big smile, it makes you feel good inside," Father Gerken noted. "That's what these children did for those firemen."

(Built in 1894, the Firemen's Home in Hudson is the only facility in the U.S. that offers free residency for volunteer firemen. The home is operated and supported by the Volunteer Firemen of New York through the Firemen's Association of the State of New York, an organization dedicated to providing a home-like setting and personalized nursing care for volunteer firemen who have served their communities and can no longer care for themselves. The adjacent American Museum of Firefighting, built in 1925, holds artifacts and equipment. It is open to the public. For further information, call 828-7695.)

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