Faith, culture and spirit: 340 honor Staten Island heroes and 40 years of service

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — At the St. Joseph’s Day Dinner on Saturday evening, over 340 attendees paid homage to several community service award winners and celebrated the Rev. Terry Troia’s 40 years of service at the Port Richmond-based not-for-profit, Project Hospitality.

“Our St. Joseph Day Fundraiser Dinner exceeded all expectations,” said co-organizer Ronnie Gambon.

She shared, “Attendance surged from an expected 260 to 340 guests and we couldn’t turn away all those friends, supporters, and community members.”

Gambon concluded, “Thanks to the Old Bermuda Inn’s flexibility and guidance, our team of volunteers, myself included, tried to navigate the challenges of 80 unexpected guests with grace and warmth.”

All proceeds from the event, hosted at the Rossville catering hall, fuel Project Hospitality’s Feeding Programs.

Volunteers have coordinated this St. Joseph-centered celebration for the past three years.

Inspired by the work of the late Msgr. Vincent Bartley, the night’s program noted, “Tonight, we celebrate the rich tradition that blends faith, culture, and community spirit.”

A small core of students from Notre Dame Academy proved to be a resourceful crew of helpers — Avea Paone, Celeste Perez, Sarah Pukala, Lily Woods and Brenna Raftery were among the dyamic group of youths who served food and helped seat guests.

Gambon said, “As a volunteer co-chair of the St. Joseph Day fundraising Dinner, I did it for Terry Troia, plain and simple.”

She echoed the sentiment of others in the room adding, “How could we say no to Terry? We can’t. Her legacy of service and her ability to unite people for a common purpose continue to drive the Project Hospitality mission forward. Tonight, we celebrate not only the success of the event but also the profound impact of Terry’s vision and the collective spirit of those who stand with her.”

Rev. Troia said, “It is the faith communities that are at the heart of carrying forward the biblical mission of Project Hospitality to feed those who hunger and shelter those who are homeless. We honor them that they may inspire others to serve the poor with great passion and commitment : with love and welcome, with tenderness & justice.”

This year’s honorees were the following:

Cliff Hagen for the Msgr. Jeff Conway Award

Michael McVey of Sacred Heart Church, the Msgr. Vincent Bartley Award

Msgr. William Belford of St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus for the Msgr. Peter Finn Award

Rev. Hernan Paredes of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel for the Father De. Michael Flynn Award

Rev. Rhey Garcia of Sacred Heart Churchfor the Msgr. Ferdinando Berardi Award

The Maresca Family and The Ruiz Family of St. Clare’s R.C. Church for the Msgr. Richard Guastella Award

Sr. Anne Seeley, in Memoriam, of Notre Dame Academy for The Longest Table Award

Here are further scenes form the evening.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance/SILive.com food editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.