In years to come, it will be said of Manuel 'Manny' Rivera Sr.’s funeral that it was a family affair that drew together his immediate and extended kin, the brotherhood of firefighters from around the metropolitan area and the Trenton community at large which knew him, respected him and loved him as their own.

Thousands attended both events and the reception that followed the funeral including firefighters who came from as far away as New England and Virginia to the cathedral to pay their respects.

But, it was truly a family affair for Liz Ortiz, one of scores who knew Rivera as a childhood friend who grew up to become a mentor to neighborhood kids and "someone you could always count on" in a pinch.

"He was like a relative to us," said Ortiz, a member of the parish council at Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing. "My parents were his godparents. We all grew up together and stayed close all our lives.

"Our families came from the same home town in Puerto Rico and moved to the same part (of Trenton) when we came here," Ortiz said. "Manny was always there to help everyone. He was always part of the family. He was a beautiful, beautiful person."

Her reflections dovetailed with the sentiments of clergy, family members, friends and comrades who attended the wake and the Mass commemorating his heroic life and death and the attributes that made him so dear to one and all.

During the Introductory Rites at the Mass, Bishop John M. Smith, spoke of Rivera as "an exemplary citizen of our city, our wonderful city of Trenton."

"In the Scripture, you read where no greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends," Bishop Smith said. "Manny did more than that. He laid down his life for someone he did not know."

Bishop Smith expressed his sympathy for the "two families" Rivera left behind – his wife, parents, children and other relatives and the firefighting family. "Tears flow because we have lost someone we knew for many years…(but) our faith tells us he has gone to the Lord."

Rivera left behind his wife, Dalixa 'Dolly' Montalvo, his parents, Ernesto Enrique Sr. and Purification Rivera, his children, Christopher and Manuel Jr., 18, Natasha I., 17, Steven A., 14, Caitlin P., 12 and the nephew he helped to raise, Onix Xavier Montalvo.

Msgr. John A. Dermond, rector of the cathedral, was the principal celebrant at the Mass. He spoke movingly of a Mass held there Feb. 13 to pray for Rivera’s return to health.

"Instead," he said, "God called Manny home…We cannot ignore our sadness and we must not be ashamed of our tears."

Msgr. Dermond acknowledged the dangerous nature of firefighting. "Every time a firefighter goes into fire or smoke, he or she encounters a valley of darkness. When Manny responded to rescue another, he went into a valley of darkness. Not without fear, I am sure, but not letting fear keep him from his mission."

Those present in the vast assembly inside and outside the cathedral, "must walk through our own valley of darkness now," Msgr. Dermond said, "not without fear, but also not letting fear weaken our love or our family."

The farewell to Rivera is sure to make for a poignant memory at the second annual Fire Service Memorial Mass this October said two members of the organizing committee. Msgr. James Innocenzi, chaplain to the Trenton Fire Department for well over two decades and John Panacek, battalion chief for Trenton Fire Department who was once Rivera’s captain, said he will be remembered once again at the fall Mass.

"His service will be recalled," said Msgr. Innocenzi, pastor of St. George Parish, Titusville. "You know, firefighters are a very tight knit group and when something like this happens, it is happening to a member of the family."

Panacek called the Mass "an impressive turnout; a real mark of respect for a fallen brother firefighter.

"There was an outpouring of respect," he said. "He will be remembered again in October at the Fire Service Memorial Mass here in Trenton. He will also be remembered at the memorial service held in October at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md."