Hoboken church is standing-room-only for priest's memorial

Donna M Rolando | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Video: Hundreds pray for Hoboken priest killed in crash Parishioners at St. Francis Church in Hoboken gathered to pray for the Rev. Michael Guglielmelli and his sister, Dolores "Dora" Guglielmelli who died in a car accident.

It was a sight that would have made the Rev. Michael Guglielmelli’s heart glad.

St. Francis Church in Hoboken was overflowing with parishioners Tuesday night. The occasion was a memorial Mass for Father Mike, 81, and his sister Dolores “Dora” Guglielmelli, 87, both Cliffside Park residents killed in a car crash Sunday.

Father Mike had a knack for bringing people back to church because he thought they needed it.

In this final testament to his popularity, the pews could not hold all the church members. They filled the church all the way to the doors and some stood out on the street to remember a priest who always left them feeling God’s love.

“He has touched so many lives and so many hearts," said the Rev. Chris Panlilio, the pastor of the church. "One thing I know for sure, he would never give up on any of us.”

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A two-car accident at 6:48 p.m. on County Route 537 in Freehold Township also seriously injured their sister Shirley Gallina, who lived with them in a house on Columbia Avenue, and Father Mike’s niece Helen.

Both family members remain at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and need surgery, Panlilio said. Shirley would like to attend her brother’s funeral and for that reason no date has been set, he explained. He said he expected to know the details this week, adding that the funeral will be at St. Francis.

Several parishioners told how Father Mike had made an impact on their lives. For many he was there for each milestone – blessing their homes, baptizing their children, officiating at their weddings, and then their children’s first Holy Communion.

One woman shared with the packed house her memory of how Father Mike had performed her marriage ceremony some 40 years ago, saying at the time that the couples he unites stick like glue.

Also remembered was his sister Dora, who was an active member of the church for many years.

Cliffside Park neighbor Nieves Fernandez described her as the mother hen who’d take care of everybody.

Outside St. Francis Church after the memorial, Chris Manning talked about his family’s connection to Father Mike and the parish.

“We’ve enjoyed this church immensely,” Manning said. His wife teaches in the church's religious education program, his daughter serves at Mass, and Father Mike took his other daughter's first confession in May.

He recalled that Father Mike never feared going to heaven. “He always said get yourself ready," Manning said. "You never know when.”

Angelica Altilio has been a parishioner for 23 years and was baptized there.

“He always had something nice to say to everyone, and I always looked forward to that hug at the end of Mass,” Altilio said.

Father Mike was known for leaving each church-goer with a hug as they went home from Sunday service. He also stood out for having a good sense of humor, joking about not overdoing it on Easter candy, and infusing a few words of Italian into each Mass.

Some of his neighbors on Columbia Avenue in Cliffside Park would travel to Hoboken just to hear his homily. Although retired as pastor, he still celebrated Mass there at times and had almost five decades in the priesthood.

“He was an animal lover,” said Iliana Rubio, a neighbor. “On Oct. 4, St. Francis Day, he opened the church to all the animals. … He actually had a Mass and all the animals would partake. We’d go every year and take our dogs. That was in honor of St. Francis.”

Her sister, Rosy Fernandez, appreciated that Father Mike loved to sing and would honor Jesus by singing "Happy Birthday" every Christmas Day.

After retiring as pastor in 2013, he lived with his two sisters on Columbia Avenue. He had a passion for gardening and fresh-baked bread, which he’d share on Sundays with neighbors.

With eyes of faith, parishioners repeatedly said that he and his sister had reached their destinations, although at a time no one expected – on a trip to visit a niece who lives near Freehold Township.

The 2005 Dodge Caravan they were riding in was struck from behind by a pickup truck driven by a 19-year-old Freehold Township man, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The accident is under investigation and witnesses are asked to contact the Freehold Township Police Department.