The Rev. Dr. Eric and Mrs. Joyce Weaver

Friends, family and parishioners recognized a Long Island Episcopal priest’s nearly 43 years of service to their Long Island congregation when they named a church building in his honor on Sunday, May 31.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Northport dedicated "The Rev. Dr. Eric James Weaver Trinity Episcopal Church School Building" just before Weaver celebrated his final mass at Trinity that Sunday morning.

Weaver, who arrived at Trinity in December 1966 as assistant rector and has been the congregation’s de facto rector for the past 10 years, is retiring. At the time of his retirement, he had been a priest for 47 of his 71 years.

“I am completely overwhelmed at the response of the parish to my ministry,” Weaver said. “I know that no one can do everything by themselves. It has been my policy to enable people to achieve success by helping them if they need help and by encouraging them to work with their strengths. Any successes are due to the teamwork of everyone working together.”

The congregation announced its intention to dedicate the building to Weaver at a May 16 dinner honoring him and his years of service to God and Trinity. At the dinner, attended by more than 100 current and former parishioners, friends and family members, the congregation also awarded Weaver with a special edition of the Trinity Cross, given to a parishioner for extraordinary service to the parish. Weaver established the award 10 years ago but had not been a recipient himself.

The parish also awarded Weaver’s wife, Joyce, with a Trinity Cross at the May 16 dinner for her faithful devotion to the congregation and her husband’s ministry.

Church members feel the building dedication is a fitting tribute to Weaver, who was in charge of the church’s Christian Education program during his time as assistant rector. After he became the fulltime rector, Weaver continued to be a champion of youth involvement in the church.

“Fr. Weaver's ministry has been dedicated to this parish,” said Barbara Wasilausky, senior warden of the church’s vestry, the lay governing board.  “The children of the parish are at the core of his spiritual focus, and he celebrated their growth in the church. Fr. Weaver has baptized many of the parish children, presented their annual Church School awards, trained them as acolytes and supervised their preparation for confirmation. Trinity has a strong future because of Fr. Weaver's devotion to our youth.”

“Fr. Weaver saw the children as the future of our church and has spiritually nurtured them to grow in Christian fellowship and love,” Church School superintendent Donna Irizarry said. “Thanks to him, our church has a vibrant and growing Church School, which now is appropriately named after him.”

Under Weaver, Trinity began its popular “Battle of the Bands” series, a bimonthly show of rock music performed by local youth bands that has raised more than $20,000 for a food pantry that serves the Northport-East Northport community. 

Weaver also encouraged regular participation by Sunday School students in church services, inviting them to not only serve as acolytes but also as lay readers, ushers, singers and musicians.  Additionally, Weaver established the first youth representative position on the church’s vestry, the elected lay body that governs the congregation.

"Fr. Weaver actually treated us (the youth) like people," said Will Martin, who served as Trinity’s first youth vestry representative after his confirmation at 16. With Weaver’s encouragement, Martin ran for and was elected to the vestry as an adult member when he turned 18.

Parishioners are finding it difficult to say goodbye to their beloved priest, who has been a source of strength in times of trouble.

“In a four-month period I lost a very good friend and then my dad,” lifelong parishioner Pattie Seitter said. “Trinity as a family, and Fr. Weaver in particular, gave me a shoulder and a tissue and the strength to smile again. You expect a priest to have the right words to say in times of sadness. I was fortunate to have someone who knew me well and could share in my sorrow as well as bring me strength.

“ As much as he was the head of us, he was one of us, and I always felt he loved being here.”

Weaver, a native of England, came to the United States as a child and grew up on Long Island. He attended St. Paul’s School in Garden City, earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and graduated from The General Theological Seminary. He was ordained a priest in May 1962. He served at the Church of the Holy Cross in Brooklyn, the Church of the Messiah in Central Islip, St. Michael and All Angels in Gordon Heights, St. James the Less in Jamaica, and Grace Church in Huntington Station before coming to Trinity in December 1966. He was assistant rector to the Rev. Graham H. Walworth and later worked with the Rev. William C. Bergmann and the Rev. Kevin Arnold Barry. He became fulltime interim rector when Fr. Barry left the congregation in 1999.

Additionally, Weaver earned a master’s degree in education from City College and a doctorate in education and a professional diploma in educational administration from Hofstra University. During his time as assistant rector at Trinity, Weaver also worked in the Middle Country School District as Director of Special Educational Services and principal of the Unity Drive Learning Center.

Weaver married his wife, the former Joyce McKean, in 1973. They have four children and two grandchildren. 

“I am grateful to all the parishioners for being a strong family in which the work of the Church can be accomplished,” Weaver said. “I know that they will accomplish much in the years to follow. I shall miss them all.”