Ecumenical Service of Prayer & Remembrance Sunday April 26, 2015
Wartburg, an award-winning provider of comprehensive residential and healthcare services for seniors, hosted an Ecumenical Service of Prayer & Remembrance, on Sunday, April 26, 2015 in the historic Wartburg Chapel to celebrate and remember the lives of those honored through memorial gifts and to dedicate the bricks, trees and benches given in honor of loved ones around Wartburg’s expansive 34-acre campus in Mount Vernon, NY.
The celebration was attended by over 90 individuals including Wartburg board of directors, benefactors, staff, residents, family members of current and past residents and members of the local community.
Reverend Carol E. A. Fryer, Wartburg Director of Spiritual Care and Church Relations and Pastor of United Lutheran Church (Mount Vernon, NY) presided over the celebration in the Wartburg Chapel.
Reverend Fryer remarked, “It gives me tremendous joy to celebrate and remember our loved ones with so many of our Ecumenical friends. It has been said that the walls that divide us do not reach up to heaven. I like to think that we are blessed with a glimpse of heaven right here in this Wartburg community.”
David J. Gentner, Wartburg President & CEO, said, “It is a wonderful day when we can honor and memorialize those who were a part of Wartburg’s family. And I enjoy participating in dialogue embracing all people, which is also consistent with Wartburg’s mission and values.”
As part of Wartburg’s Campus Beautification Campaign, the dedicated bricks named in honor/memory of loved ones by Wartburg supporters were placed in the “Mary Garden,” one of the numerous breathtakingly beautiful sitting gardens located on Wartburg’s 34-acre picturesque campus providing residents, families and staff outdoor sanctuaries. The Mary Garden is named after the statue of the Virgin Mary placed in memory of Maria Tapia-Belsito, Wartburg’s former Director of Development. Each sitting area is composed of memorial trees, benches and bricks, given by donors in honor of or in memory of a loved one. The “Mary Garden” has already become a special place of prayer and meditation for many of Wartburg’s residents and families.
“Wartburg’s Campus Beautification Campaign fulfills our mission bringing together nature and nurture, a vital part of the continuum of care that holds our community together and made possible through the generosity of Wartburg donors.” said Angela Ciminello, Wartburg’s Director of Development.
Wartburg
Wartburg is an award-winning provider of comprehensive senior services, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s/dementia care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, adult day services and hospice care. www.wartburg.org. Its 34-acre campus in Mount Vernon serves seniors and their families in southern Westchester and the northern Bronx, and now the tri-state area. Wartburg’s nursing home has been recognized by U. S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Nursing Homes in New York State” for the fourth straight consecutive year, in 2014. Over the past few years, Wartburg has launched an ambitious building expansion program, including the Friedrichs Residence, providing affordable housing for seniors with 61 independent living apartments, and a rehabilitation and adult day services center of excellence both opened in 2013.
