HAGAMAN — Roberta Jesenski has been luring parishioners into St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church in Hagaman with her organ music for the last 50 years.

For nearly all of those years, Jesenski, 66, has been wearing the same pair of loafers to play the organ. The shoes now have holes in the toes and cracks in the soles, but Jesenski said she will probably be buried in them.

“They are just comfortable to play in,” Jesenski said

Once, the church's cleaning woman threw the shoes in the garbage, but one of the choir members retrieved them. Now, there is a sign next to the shoes telling people that they belong to her and not to remove them.

In an emotional ceremonial Mass Sunday at St. Stephen's Church, parishioners celebrated the 50th anniversary of their organist and choir director.

As the beginning of Mass approached and Jesenski started to play, the choir members gathered around taking pictures and smiling proudly at the only choir director most of them have ever known. Some of the members, including Mary Morck, were overcome with emotion and couldn't contain their tears.

“These are tears of joy,” Morck said. “I love her and respect her. She is a gifted musician and humble. This is really embarrassing her.”

There are about 20 members in the choir ranging in age from 18 to 80.

“Most of us have grown up here,” Peggy Young, who sings in the choir, said.

At the end of the Mass, Jesenski reluctantly came down from the choir loft and stood before the congregation so they could praise her. A thunderous applause greeted her from the 100 or so people in attendance as she walked back upstairs, kissing and waving to familiar faces and quietly brushing away a few stray tears. Jesenski, who has five children and five grandchildren, said she couldn't have continued without the support of her family, especially her husband, William Jesenski, who frequently looked after the children while she was playing at church.

William Jesenski said he thinks it's amazing that his wife has not only been playing the organ for 50 years, but playing in the same church for all that time.

“I bring her to church, I sit down and she goes up,” William Jesenski said.

Jesenski said she was asked to play the organ in 1957 by the late Rev. Edward Tanski, whose previous organist was leaving to attend nursing school at St. Mary's Hospital.

“I just love it. I love the music,” Jesenski said.

Jesenski said she gave up a lot to continue as the church's organist for all those years, including Christmas and Easter dinners with her husband's family in Schenectady.

“We would have to say no, because I would have to play during Mass,” Jesenski said.

Jesenski said she also couldn't have continued without the help of her choir members, who come to practice during the rain, snow and ice.

Sheila Pieniazek, of Hagaman, has been a member of the choir since Jesenski started playing. Pieniazek said she views Jesenski as more like a sister than just a friend.

“We're all very proud of her,” Pieniazek said fighting tears. “She's a very gifted musician and the sweetest person you'll ever meet.”

Despite everything she's given up, Jesenski said she has no plans to leave her post as organist at St. Stephen's.

"I'll be there for as long as I can climb the stairs and for as long as they want me," she said.