HOBOKEN – For nearly a week Hoboken has been reverberating with the after-effects of a report describing an alleged encounter between Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Father Vincent Fortunato following last Sunday’s ‘Blue Mass’ homily. The ceremony is an annual Hoboken ritual in which the priest of St. Ann’s asks for God’s blessing on the uniformed services of the city and praises their courage and dedication.
The report, unsigned and attributing its description to unnamed eyewitnesses, said the mayor berated the priest for his homily on the steps of St. Ann’s in a “disrespectful tirade” that “shocked onlookers.”
The mayor has declined all week to respond to press inquiries about the incident. Now in a letter to The Hoboken Reporter, she addresses the controversy at length for the first time:
“Last Sunday I attended the St. Ann’s service dedicated to honoring Hoboken Police and Fire fighters. I went to the service to show my appreciation for all of the work that the HPD and HFD do to protect our residents.
Father Vinnie’s sermon was powerful, thought-provoking, and extremely relevant to the issues facing our city. It had a profound effect on me, and I spoke emotionally to Father Vinnie after the service.
“While I regret approaching him immediately after the service to have what should have been a less emotional and private conversation, I am thankful that this has led to a dialogue with him. As a result of our meeting on Thursday, we are committed to joining together to try to heal the divisiveness in our community.
“The tone of the last several weeks has been extremely concerning to me. I fear that these tough economic times have the potential to truly divide our City. During these challenging times it is important that all Hoboken residents, and especially our elected officials, focus on the need to heal and not exacerbate our divisions.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Father Vinnie for meeting with me on Thursday and agreeing to work with other community leaders to develop and implement initiatives to bring our community together.
Thank you.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer”