Whether they knew him as “Father Toomey,” “Msgr. Toomey,” “Len” or even as “Tooms,” a flood of heartfelt memories were shared on Msgr. Leonard R. Toomey, who died Sept. 10 at age 86.

A priest of the diocese for 60 years, Msgr. Toomey was most remembered as being the beloved longtime pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Trenton, where he served from 1966 to 1992.

Bishop John M. Smith, who was principal celebrant of the Mass of Christian Burial Sept. 15 in Sacred Heart Church, remembered Msgr. Toomey as a “great, great friend” and someone who he had come to know, respect and love.

The first time Bishop Smith met Msgr. Toomey was almost 12 years ago when he had just arrived to the diocese as the new Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton.

Msgr. Toomey “took me by both hands and said, ‘Bishop, we’re so happy you’re here. You are so welcome,’” said Bishop Smith. “And he meant it.”

Several weeks ago while in conversation with Msgr. Toomey, Bishop Smith learned about his terminal cancer and other health complications.

Msgr. Toomey said that he was “getting ready to meet the Lord,” Bishop Smith said. “He taught us how to live and he also taught us how to die.

“Msgr. Toomey told me: ‘Bishop, I have had a wonderful life. I’ve had 60 wonderful years of priestly life, living among friends of faith hope and love. I have no pain. I am ready to meet the Lord and all who have gone home before me. Who could ask for anything more?’”

Msgr. Henry S. Bogdan, pastor emeritus of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, was ordained with Msgr. Toomey March 13, 1948, in the old St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop Bartholomew J. Eustace, the first Bishop of Camden.

“Len was a class act,” said Msgr. Bogdan.

While the two men had attended different seminaries and their priestly assignments took them in separate directions throughout the years, Msgr. Bogdan said the occasions when their paths would cross were rather limited. But they developed a closer friendship in recent years while living at Villa Vianney, the diocesan residential facility for retired priests in Lawrenceville.

“Len knew everybody and everybody seemed to like him,” said Msgr. Bogdan. “They paid attention to him and he commanded respect. He was very clever, intelligent and personable. I’m sure there are people all over the country who knew and loved him.”

Without question, Msgr. Bogdan said there will be a “void around here at the Villa and his presence will be missed.”

“Lenny was a super guy and a class act all the way around.”

Longtime parishioners, Maryanne Bush and Bernadette Heulitt stood just inside the door of Sacred Heart Church hours before the Sept. 15 funeral Mass, handing out programs and offering affectionate words of consolation as mourners filed into the church.

“He was so truly kind, sweet and gentle,” said Maryanne Bush, who grew up in Sacred Heart Parish and had known Msgr. Toomey since she was 12. “He was the closest thing to a saint and his loss is very dramatic because, even though he was retired, you knew he was there and you loved that.”

Heulitt, a member of the parish for 31 years added: “We all pass many churches to come here. I come from Yardley, Pa., for instance. Maryanne lives in Yardville. People came here for monsignor. He put his stamp on life here. He was so special.”

A few pews down from where Bush and Heulitt stood, sixth grader Loughery DeMille and his mom, Anne, a member of the parish council at Sacred Heart, spoke of their love for Msgr. Toomey. “I want to see him and be with him,” said Loughery.

“He asked to serve the funeral Mass,” said his mom. “They were good friends.”

Like so many others in the church, DeMille had known Msgr. Toomey since childhood. “My parents, Anne and Louis, were good friends of his too. My mom is sitting up front. She’s 85.

“You know, people came to the wake on Sunday with tears in their eyes and I urged them to think of him with a smile instead,” said DeMille. “He lived life the way he wanted to. There should be no sadness here. He went out in faith to a new life.”

Upon hearing the news of Msgr. Toomey’s death, Father Alphonse Stephenson, the director of the Point Pleasant Beach-Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea and State Command Chaplain for the New Jersey Army and National Guard, said on the morning of Sept. 10, he was compelled to pay his “good friend” a visit. Little did Father Stephenson know that visit would take place just hours before Msgr.

Toomey would be called home to the Lord. Father Stephenson said that although he was “surprised” to see Msgr. Toomey’s physically frail state, the two shared a most enjoyable conversation. “He was just tremendous that day,” said Father Stephenson, who came to know Msgr. Toomey through the Christmas concerts that the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea would host each year in Sacred Heart Church to benefit St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton.

“The phrase ‘a priest’s priest’ is used so frequently that I think it lost its punch,” said Father Stephenson. “But that was Len. He was truly a priest’s priest and he was a special friend to every priest he met.”

In his homily at the Funeral Mass, Father Apoldite, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, said he was certain that each person present had his or her own special memory of Msgr. Toomey.

“They are stories that we don’t forget. From the first moment we encountered this wonderful man, he threw us into his very heart and he made us feel like we were the best person he had ever known.”

Father Apoldite centered most of his homily on the Christmas season since it was a favorite time of year for Msgr. Toomey.

“He saw it as a time of peace, a time of love and a time of joy for all of us and he was at the center of it,” said Father Apoldite.

Then, describing the figurines that one would find in the Nativity scene, Father Apoldite likened each to the life of Msgr. Toomey.

The stable was most important and “set the balance of everything” and in Msgr. Toomey’s stable, such as here “in this beautiful Church of Sacred Heart, everything was always set just right,” said Father Apoldite. “Everything he touched was perfect.”

As the angels were the first to announce “Glory to God in the Highest” – that Christ was born in Bethlehem, Msgr. Toomey, in no matter what the situation, he always “brought that sense of happiness and security to all of us. When he was around, there was a sense that everything was going to be alright.”

Like the shepherds and town folk of the time who were the first to hear that Christ was born, “so it is for all of us that we are the common folk and friends of Leonard Toomey,” said Father Apoldite. “It didn’t matter who we were. We were respected and we were loved.”

The astrologers (Magi) were always in search for “the Light and “they were determined to follow that light,” said Father Apoldite.

“Msgr. Toomey always wanted to be better, to be more Christ-like in his own way and for all of us he helped us find the light in our lives.”

Father Apoldite spoke of Msgr. Toomey’s great devotion to the Blessed Mother, and how he loved to pray the Rosary and seek her guidance.

As Joseph was the foster father of Jesus, Msgr. Toomey in his own way had viewed his parishioners as his foster family.

Of the last figurine, Father Apoldite said that Msgr. Toomey would call the Christ Child, the “Babe of Bethlehem,” because it “sounded special and joyful.”

“And that’s what he wanted to be most in life – another Christ,” said Father Apoldite. “It was through the priesthood that Msgr. Toomey found the joy in his life.”