On July 24, Father Peter Purpura was sworn in as a chaplain for the New York City Fire Department during a promotion ceremony at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility on Staten Island, which also honored 83 officers across the FDNY.
While his official swearing-in was recent, Father Purpura began his new duties more than a month earlier, on June 16, stepping into a role that includes spiritual leadership and on-ground support for the city’s firefighters and EMS workers.
“There was a lot of uncertainty, so when it finally arrived, there was a bit of relief, but also a lot of excitement,” Father Purpura said. “I’m just very grateful for the opportunity, and I don’t want to take it for granted,”
He described being named chaplain as an “honor” and “privilege,” and was eager to show that he is “the right person for the job.”
Father Purpura, who will remain pastor of Our Lady of Hope in Middle Village, said he was encouraged to apply for the highly sought-after position, which he thought might be “out of reach” for him.
“It was always something like, ‘Wow, that would be amazing to be a chaplain,’ [but] I never thought it would present itself for me,” Father Purpura said, adding that 30 other applicants were being considered.
FDNY chaplains hold the rank of deputy chief and serve 24-hour shifts, providing spiritual and emotional support at ceremonies, hospitals, and major fire scenes. Stationed at command posts during emergencies, they offer guidance, comfort, and counseling to firefighters and their families — responding whenever they are needed.
Father Purpura joins seven other chaplains of the FDNY. He said the FDNY has always been a part of his life, through family and friends, for the past 18 years. He became personally involved with the department, taking on leadership roles starting five years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, he stepped in to conduct burials and other services as some of the department’s older chaplains were unable to serve.
“It’s a place in a reality that I’m very comfortable with, and I’m excited to be a priest in that world now,” Father Purpura said.
Father Purpura was ordained to the priesthood for the diocese on June 30, 2007. He has also served as a parochial vicar for St. Bernard and Our Lady of Hope, and in 2015, Father Purpura was named the rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James.
In 2023, Bishop Robert Brennan appointed Father Purpura as the Regional Vicar for Queens West, encompassing all Catholic Churches in the neighborhoods of Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Howard Beach, Jackson Heights, Maspeth, Long Island City, Middle Village, Ozone Park. Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, South Richmond Hill, and Woodside.
His new role as chaplain also honors the memory of the late Msgr. John E. Delendick, a longtime FDNY chaplain who passed away on Nov. 23, 2023, due to a 9/11 related illness. Msgr. Delendick was known for his deep connection to the department, particularly for his service during and after the events of the terrorist attack. He was 74.
“I’m learning how much respect he had; people knew how much he loved the fire department, how much he loved being a part of it, and he’s really missed, and his name comes up often,” Father Purpura said. “It is a great honor to carry the mantle for people like him.”
He said he had the pleasure of personally knowing Msgr. Delendick, describing him as someone who was present and understood both the “challenges and the joys” being a chaplain brings.
“It’s one of those jobs people aspire to be a part of, so he understood that whole reality,” Father Purpura said. “When he was with firemen, he knew them well and was really able to enter into their lives.”
Although he’s just getting started, he said he is looking forward to serving his community in meaningful way, using a position he considers to be a “parallel to parish life.”
“In many ways, it’s just a carryover from my work in the parish — caring for people and being in their lives,” he said, “whether … we celebrate their success, or it’s the more challenging moments when someone’s injured or God forbid there’s a fatality.”