1st wedding after Sandy for church in Breezy Point

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Tracy Ann Rutter got married in Breezy Point Friday, to Richard Whalen. It was the first wedding at St. Thomas More Church since the storm, and after all that misery, all that loss, folks needed a little of this.

"We can get wind, we can get fire, we can get flooded, but you're not going to kill love," said Msgr. Michael Curran, pastor.

Well, it wasn't for a lack of trying. Fire and flood devastated Breezy Point during the storm, scores of homes destroyed. And many in this enclave of first responders find themselves now rummaging through donations at St. Thomas More for food and clothes. It has been the roughest of times.

There were a lot of good reasons to cancel or at least delay this wedding for a while, but the couple in the end decided that it meant too much to too many people, as everyone needed a little bit of happiness right now.

"I love Tracy, she's my heart and soul, and having it in Breezy means a lot to me personally and to a lot of people just moving on you know, and recovering," said Richard Whelan, the groom.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Tracy Rutter, the bride.

And so Richard and Tracy went ahead.

The bride and groom are both firefighters. In fact, Tracy was dropped off at the church in a fire truck.

For a community of first responders, it was a perfect step forward.

"We took a tremendous hit, so many people are suffering, but at the same time it's a time for the community for its real strength to be shown," Msgr. Curran said.

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new york city, hurricane sandy, wedding, new york news, jim dolan

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