When Father Bob Emery, the pastor of St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Weehawken, was a teenager growing up in Ocean Township, N.J., he was fascinated with the machinery of police work.
"When I was in high school, I joined the Police Explorers," Emery said. "It was a group that helped police efforts and was involved in safety patrols. For a period of time, I actually considered it as a career. But that involvement exposed me to the world of public safety."
However, during Emery’s 15 years in the priesthood, he never had a chance to work closely with public safety workers.
"I just never had the opportunity," Emery said.
About two years ago, Weehawken Deputy Police Chief Robert DelPriore approached Emery and asked him if he would consider becoming the chaplain for the Weehawken police department.
The department didn’t have a chaplain in recent memory, and DelPriore wanted to have a spiritual leader if an officer fell injured or sick on duty.
"I thought it was perfect for me," Emery said. "I could give spiritual support and attend ceremonial services, like promotion ceremonies. I welcomed the opportunity."
That was basically the extent of Emery’s duties for the last two years, until the North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue officials realized that the regional didn’t have an official chaplain either.
"I received a letter from Chief [Edward] Flood, asking me if I would consider being a chaplain for the regional," Emery said. "In the letter, Chief Flood said that some of the firefighters were sincerely concerned that they did not have a chaplain. I knew one or two of them had already approached me, but I didn’t want to say anything."
Two weeks ago, Emery was sworn in as the first-ever chaplain of the NHRFR. In light of what happened last Sept. 11, when the chaplain of the New York Fire Department, Rev. Mychal Judge, was the first person to perish in the tragedy, the importance of having a spiritual leader in a fire department is even more important than ever.
"Before Sept. 11, I think people saw police and fire chaplains as being strictly ceremonial," Emery said. "It was just an honorary title. But after Sept. 11, the reality has hit me that the role is much greater, more intense. In the face of that tragedy, the role has taken on a whole new dimension. With that in mind, it is a great honor for me to be the chaplain."
At the Weehawken inauguration ceremony two weeks ago, which gave Mayor Richard Turner another four-year term, Turner addressed the audience after Emery gave the invocation.
"He said that it made perfect sense that since I was already the chaplain for the police department and the North Hudson regional, that I should be the chaplain for the Volunteer First Aid Squad as well," Emery said. "The mayor said my new title will be ‘Chaplain of Public Safety.’ It was all new to me."
Emery said that he had briefly worked with the Port Authority police during the Sept. 11 tragedy as a favor to current PA Chief Leonard Mackesy, to help the officers through the trauma. That experience has prepared him for his new, all-encompassing role with all sides of Weehawken’s public safety patrol.
"I have a degree in counseling, so I can help if anyone has a need to talk about stress-related issues," Emery said. "I’ve gained a much greater respect for what public safety officers do, for the dedication and devotion that they give to their jobs. I’ve always had tremendous respect, but I think I’ve recently gained a higher sense of awareness. It’s a great honor and a privilege and I hope I can fulfill their needs."
‘Strong connection’
Emery said that he will be helped in his new role by the fact that so many of the public safety personnel are already parishioners at St. Lawrence.
"I feel there’s already a strong connection," Emery said. "It will be an extension of administering my ministry to the parishioners. I know my responsibility is first and foremost with the parish and being the pastor of a one-priest church is already a hand full. But in taking on these new responsibilities, I feel like I can get more involved in the community and I feel that’s important."
Emery said that he plans to accompany the NHRFR to as many fires as possible to offer spiritual support and guidance.