This Is My New Jersey

Recently, a story touched many hearts in North Jersey. The passing of Carmela Polimeni. Sadly, Carmela had no family and passed away alone. The funeral parlor who received her earthly remains were at a loss. As a last resort, they placed an ad in a local paper. That ad touched off a search not just in New Jersey, but her home country of Italy as well.

Sadly, no family was ever found. But we were all touched by her story.

Her information was shared all over social media. Websites and the local news picked up the story. It was all over North Jersey. People searched online, through Ancestry. The local police and the funeral parlor even tried to find someone in Italy. Our hearts collectively broke as we thought of this woman with no family left to mourn her. As a result, we all collectively mourned her.

Tomorrow, Carmela will be laid to rest. But she will certainly not be alone. She has a new family; all of New Jersey. Her funeral mass will take place tomorrow, Thursday, September 5th, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church at 470 Broad Ave. in Leonia. She will then be laid to rest at at 1 p.m. in Rockland Cemetery, at 201 Kings Highway in Sparkill, New York. If you are unable to attend the mass in person, it will be streamed live on Facebook.

In her death, Carmela taught us all an important lesson. She reminded all of us to treat people with humanity and care. To look for the elderly in our communities that might not have family. Who need a visit. Who just want someone to sit and have a cup of tea with them.

Now I would like to challenge all of you. Don’t let her grave become one of those sad and lonely graves we have all seen at the cemetery when we go to visit our loved ones. Stop by and bring flowers. Let her know she will not be forgotten after she is put to rest. As she aged she had no one around her. Let’s make sure she has those she has touched around her in her afterlife.

Non ti dimenticheremo Carmela.