Carmela Marie Cristiano
Encyclopedia
Sister Carmela Marie Cristiano, S.C., (August 15, 1927 – August 1, 2011) was an American
Catholic
Religious Sister of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
, who served the community as a teacher, social worker and activist. She received public attention for her high-profile battle with then-Jersey City
Mayor Thomas J. Whelan
over poor conditions and corruption at the city's orphan ward. In 1975, Sister Carmela became the first Sister to run for political office in New Jersey
. She also founded two nonprofit corporations during her career.
Canonica) Cristiano in New York City
. She joined the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
, which are headquartered in Convent Station, New Jersey
, on March 25, 1945. Cristiano remained a Sister within the congregation for the next sixty-six years. She obtained a bachelor's of science in education from the College of Saint Elizabeth
.
for more than 20 years before entering social work
. She taught at Catholic elementary schools in South Orange
, Newark
, New Brunswick
, Jersey City, Totowa
, Teaneck
and Cliffside Park
.
She became a social worker at the Hudson County Emergency Shelter beginning in 1968. In 1969, Cristiano openly complained to public officials in Jersey City about poor living conditions at the now defunct 6th floor Jersey City Medical Center
orphan
ward where she worked. She had been hired as the superintendent
of the ward, which was used to house babies who had been orphaned in the city. In response, Jersey City officials terminated Cristiano in August 1969, leading to a public battle between her and Mayor Thomas J. Whelan
. Cristiano refused to leave her office for several days upon learning that she had been fired by the Whelan administration. By openly criticizing corruption in Jersey City, specifically in the orphans' ward, Sister Cristiano has been credited with uncovering widespread extortion and misappropriation
of public funds, which ultimately led to the conviction of Whelan and other officials in Jersey City and Hudson County. Mayor Whelan would be convicted of extortion
as part of the "Hudson Eight" trial in 1971.
Sister Cristiano joined the faculty of the Jersey City YWCA
in 1969, becoming the first Catholic Sister to teach at the organization. In 1971, she founded the Hudson Day Care Center Inc., located in Guttenberg, New Jersey
. The center provided child care for mothers on welfare at eighteen day care centers throughout New Jersey. Her establishment of the Hudson Day Care Center led to her election as the state President of the New Jersey Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs.
Cristiano ran as a candidate for Hudson County
Board of Chosen Freeholders
in 1975, becoming the first Religious Sister to run for political office in New Jersey. She was unsuccessful in the election.
In 1984, she founded a daycare center in Brown Mills
, Pemberton Township, New Jersey
. She initially thought of retiring in Pemberton Township as well, but quickly become active in a number of other initiatives instead. Upon her "retirement", the day care center purchased a retirement home for her in Country Lake Estates
section of Pemberton Township, which she used to house underprivileged children visiting on weekends from urban North Jersey
.
Cristiano further founded My Mother’s House Inc., a nonprofit which places homeless people in new job vacancies. Cristiano became the executive director of My Mother's House in 1988. She ran the nonprofit organization out of her Country Lake Estates retirement home, where she would house homeless clients until they could be placed into a job. Donald Trump
and Trump Entertainment Resorts
, which operates casinos
in Atlantic City
, were the first to hire her formerly homeless candidates. John Gillespie, the former supervisor of Pemberton Township, has noted that everyone participated in the Mother's House program ultimately received a permanent job.
Former New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne
appointed Sister Carmela as one of the founding members of the New Jersey Commission on the Status of Women. Governor Thomas Kean
then reappointed her to the Commission once he became governor. In 1987, Governor Kean further awarded her the Garden State Humanitarian Award, becoming the first recipient of the honor.
She also taught adult continuing-education classes at Burlington County College
. She spearheaded the Operation Undercover, which provided underwear to Kosovar
refugees who were temporarily housed at Fort Dix. Within Burlington County, Sister Carmela served as president of the local chapter of Madonna Dell’Assunta as well as the Soroptimist International of Rancocas Valley. She also volunteered at Deborah Heart and Lung Center
.
In a 2007 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer
, Sister Carmela dismissed suggestions that she was an activist, telling the reporter, "I am active in things that matter to me."
Sister Carmela Marie Cristiano died on August 1, 2011, at the age of 83. The Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Whiting, New Jersey
, with burial at Holy Family Cemetery in Convent Station, New Jersey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Religious Sister of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth are a Roman Catholic apostolic congregation of pontifical right, based in the Convent Station area of Morris Township, New Jersey. The stated purpose of the order is to show the love of Jesus Christ in serving those in need, especially the poor...
, who served the community as a teacher, social worker and activist. She received public attention for her high-profile battle with then-Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
Mayor Thomas J. Whelan
Thomas J. Whelan
Thomas J. Whelan was an Irish-American mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. He served as the Mayor of Jersey City from 1963 to 1971....
over poor conditions and corruption at the city's orphan ward. In 1975, Sister Carmela became the first Sister to run for political office in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. She also founded two nonprofit corporations during her career.
Early life
Cristiano was born to Francis and Mary (néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Canonica) Cristiano in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She joined the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth are a Roman Catholic apostolic congregation of pontifical right, based in the Convent Station area of Morris Township, New Jersey. The stated purpose of the order is to show the love of Jesus Christ in serving those in need, especially the poor...
, which are headquartered in Convent Station, New Jersey
Convent Station, New Jersey
Convent Station is an unincorporated area within Morris Township, Morris County, New Jersey, east of Morristown.-History:The community is named after, and contains, the railroad station established during the 1870s to serve the complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic school operated...
, on March 25, 1945. Cristiano remained a Sister within the congregation for the next sixty-six years. She obtained a bachelor's of science in education from the College of Saint Elizabeth
College of Saint Elizabeth
The College of Saint Elizabeth is a private Roman Catholic, four-year, liberal arts college for women. It is located in an unincorporated community called Convent Station, in Morris Township, New Jersey...
.
Career
Sister Carmela worked as a schoolteacher throughout North JerseyNorth Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
for more than 20 years before entering social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
. She taught at Catholic elementary schools in South Orange
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
, Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, Jersey City, Totowa
Totowa, New Jersey
Totowa is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 9,892.Totowa was formed as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1898, from portions of the now-defunct Manchester Township and Wayne...
, Teaneck
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
and Cliffside Park
Cliffside Park, New Jersey
Cliffside Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 23,594....
.
She became a social worker at the Hudson County Emergency Shelter beginning in 1968. In 1969, Cristiano openly complained to public officials in Jersey City about poor living conditions at the now defunct 6th floor Jersey City Medical Center
Jersey City Medical Center
The Jersey City Medical Center is a hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey. The hospital has had different facilities in the city.-History:The hospital began as the "Charity Hospital" but the Board of Aldermen of Jersey City bought land at Baldwin Avenue and Montgomery Street in 1882 for a new hospital...
orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ward where she worked. She had been hired as the superintendent
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:*Superintendent , Superintendent of Police, SP, Senior Superintendent of Police or SSP - a police rank*Superintendent or Superintendent of Prison, Superintendent of Jail, Senior Superintendent of Jail - a rank in prisons - head of a district, central or special prison...
of the ward, which was used to house babies who had been orphaned in the city. In response, Jersey City officials terminated Cristiano in August 1969, leading to a public battle between her and Mayor Thomas J. Whelan
Thomas J. Whelan
Thomas J. Whelan was an Irish-American mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. He served as the Mayor of Jersey City from 1963 to 1971....
. Cristiano refused to leave her office for several days upon learning that she had been fired by the Whelan administration. By openly criticizing corruption in Jersey City, specifically in the orphans' ward, Sister Cristiano has been credited with uncovering widespread extortion and misappropriation
Misappropriation
In law, misappropriation is the intentional, illegal use of the property or funds of another person for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, particularly by a public official, a trustee of a trust, an executor or administrator of a dead person's estate or by any person with a responsibility...
of public funds, which ultimately led to the conviction of Whelan and other officials in Jersey City and Hudson County. Mayor Whelan would be convicted of extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
as part of the "Hudson Eight" trial in 1971.
Sister Cristiano joined the faculty of the Jersey City YWCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in 1969, becoming the first Catholic Sister to teach at the organization. In 1971, she founded the Hudson Day Care Center Inc., located in Guttenberg, New Jersey
Guttenberg, New Jersey
Guttenberg , is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 11,176. Only four blocks wide, Guttenberg is one of the smallest municipalities in New Jersey and the most densely populated incorporated place in the...
. The center provided child care for mothers on welfare at eighteen day care centers throughout New Jersey. Her establishment of the Hudson Day Care Center led to her election as the state President of the New Jersey Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs.
Cristiano ran as a candidate for Hudson County
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
in 1975, becoming the first Religious Sister to run for political office in New Jersey. She was unsuccessful in the election.
In 1984, she founded a daycare center in Brown Mills
Browns Mills, New Jersey
Browns Mills is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Pemberton Township, in Burlington County. As of the 2000 United States Census, the CDP population was 11,257.-Geography:Browns Mills is located at ....
, Pemberton Township, New Jersey
Pemberton Township, New Jersey
Pemberton Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 28,691....
. She initially thought of retiring in Pemberton Township as well, but quickly become active in a number of other initiatives instead. Upon her "retirement", the day care center purchased a retirement home for her in Country Lake Estates
Country Lake Estates, New Jersey
Country Lake Estates is a census-designated place located within Pemberton Township, in Burlington County. As of the 2000 United States Census, the CDP population was 4,012.-Geography:Country Lake Estates is located at ....
section of Pemberton Township, which she used to house underprivileged children visiting on weekends from urban North Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
.
Cristiano further founded My Mother’s House Inc., a nonprofit which places homeless people in new job vacancies. Cristiano became the executive director of My Mother's House in 1988. She ran the nonprofit organization out of her Country Lake Estates retirement home, where she would house homeless clients until they could be placed into a job. Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
and Trump Entertainment Resorts
Trump Entertainment Resorts
Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. is a holding company that owns and manages two casinos/hotels in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. Formerly known as Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, it was founded by Donald J. Trump, who was Chairman of the Board of Directors until his resignation in 2009....
, which operates casinos
Casinos
Casinos can refer to:*the plural of Casino*Casinos, Valencia, a municipality in Spain*The Casinos, an American popular music group...
in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, were the first to hire her formerly homeless candidates. John Gillespie, the former supervisor of Pemberton Township, has noted that everyone participated in the Mother's House program ultimately received a permanent job.
Former New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne
Brendan Byrne
Brendan Thomas Byrne is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey, from 1974 to 1982.-Early life and education:...
appointed Sister Carmela as one of the founding members of the New Jersey Commission on the Status of Women. Governor Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
then reappointed her to the Commission once he became governor. In 1987, Governor Kean further awarded her the Garden State Humanitarian Award, becoming the first recipient of the honor.
She also taught adult continuing-education classes at Burlington County College
Burlington County College
Burlington County College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Burlington County, New Jersey...
. She spearheaded the Operation Undercover, which provided underwear to Kosovar
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
refugees who were temporarily housed at Fort Dix. Within Burlington County, Sister Carmela served as president of the local chapter of Madonna Dell’Assunta as well as the Soroptimist International of Rancocas Valley. She also volunteered at Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Located in Browns Mills, New Jersey, Deborah Heart and Lung Center is the only hospital in the region that focuses exclusively on cardiac, vascular, and lung disease using state-of-the-art technology and care...
.
In a 2007 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, Sister Carmela dismissed suggestions that she was an activist, telling the reporter, "I am active in things that matter to me."
Sister Carmela Marie Cristiano died on August 1, 2011, at the age of 83. The Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Whiting, New Jersey
Whiting, New Jersey
Whiting is an unincorporated area in Ocean County, New Jersey. It is a section of Manchester Township, New Jersey on the west side of the township. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone with an elevation of 180ft. It is known for many retirement communities...
, with burial at Holy Family Cemetery in Convent Station, New Jersey
Convent Station, New Jersey
Convent Station is an unincorporated area within Morris Township, Morris County, New Jersey, east of Morristown.-History:The community is named after, and contains, the railroad station established during the 1870s to serve the complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic school operated...
.