St. Alexander’s Church parishioners hope they do justice to the meatballs and sauce this coming Sunday, Sept. 25, when they hold their 66th annual Macaroni Dinner in the church hall. This will be the tradition’s first without two of its most beloved volunteers.

Warren resident Anna Gempp, 87, who helped publicize and run the supper for many years, passed away last October. She was followed in early March by Jane Patterson, 47, who for years was known as “The Meatball Nazi” for her attention to detail and quality control — she was even known to re-roll a meatball if it wasn’t quite round enough, perfectly spiced, or had cracks.

Parishioner Mary Patriarca said the past year has been difficult for family members and St. Alexander’s parishioners, but they’ll remember their loved ones during the six-hour supper, which runs from noon to 6 p.m.

The event truly is a family affair, she said.

“The best part of these events is how the families come together and work so well together.”

Mrs. Patriarca’s parents, Pat and Phyllis Abbruzzi, used to do most of the cooking and now her husband Tony and children Michael and Lauren have taken over.

Before her passing in the Spring, Ms. Patterson had long since begun training her daughters Allyson and Isabella, who worked alongside her at many church events. They will work the dinner this year, and Allyson has taken over as her mother’s successor in the ‘Meatball Nazi’ department. In addition, Jane’s husband Charlie will work the kitchen.

The loss of Mrs. Gempp will be felt just as keenly. She was in charge of publicity for the supper and other St. Alexander’s events for as long as many parishioners can remember. Her regular routine was to reach out to the paper to help get the word out, and closer to the date of events would walk around uptown Warren, knocking on doors and selling tickets at businesses.

“No one could ever say no to her,” Mrs. Patriarca said. “She would help in any way you needed her.”

Mrs. Gempp’s daughter Martha and son Willie are still both a big part of the dinner.

“This year we will be making about 1,500 meatballs and we use about 80 pounds of lettuce,” Mrs. Patriarca said. “And yes, we do count” the meatballs.

Note: The dinner runs from noon to 6 p.m. in the church hall, and takeout is available if you provide your own container. The cost is $10 for adults, and children are $7. It includes soup, antipasto, macaroni and meatballs and coffee; light refreshments and pastry are for sale.