Queens Parish Prays for Geraldine Ferraro

There were fond memories of Ferraro at her neighborhood church

Parishioners at Geraldine Ferraro’s former church in Forest Hills, Queens, shared fond memories Sunday of the groundbreaking politician who lost a long battle against cancer.

The Rev. Francis Passenant of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Roman Catholic Church said the parish is praying for Ferraro and her family at Mass this weekend.

Ferraro, the Queens congresswoman and first female vice presidential candidate for a major American political party, died at age 75 on Saturday from complications of blood cancer.

For many years, she had been a fixture at Our Lady Queens of Martyrs.  It was where her husband, real estate developer John Zaccaro, attended grammar school years ago.

“Everybody said good things about her as far as I know,” said parishioner Albert Petsche.

Church leaders acknowledged the tough balancing act that Ferraro, a Catholic and a women’s rights advocate, maintained as a national figure who supported abortion rights, diverting from the church’s teachings on the matter.

“I’m sure she was a Catholic at heart,” said the Rev. Passenant.  “But to be politically involved, I guess that’s what she does."

Fellow churchgoers did not make a fuss when Ferraro attended Mass.  They recalled her as a wife and mom who brought her children to services.
 

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