RoseAnna L. Romanello, who was active in parish ministry for many years and worked to provide catechetical instruction for persons with special needs in the Diocese, died Aug. 3 in Serenity Hospice at Robert Wood Johnson University, Hospital, Hamilton. She was 93.
Mrs. Romanello, along with her now deceased h
RoseAnna Romanellousband, Angelo Romanello, supervised the Holy Innocents Society, a diocesan program that delivered catechetical instruction to special needs individuals in what grew to be six parish locations. The couples’ work is credited for helping thousands of families since Mr. Romanello was introduced to the program in 1974.
Visitation will be held in Brenna Funeral Home, Immordino Chapel, 1799 Klockner Rd., Hamilton. Aug. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. The funeral will be held Aug. 9 at 8:30 a.m., also at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Aug. 9 at 10 a.m. in St. James Church, 29 E. Paul Ave., Trenton, with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., serving as principal celebrant and homilist.
Mrs. Romanello was born in Trenton but resided in New York City for 25 years, where she worked for some time as a legal secretary, and in Ewing for the past 68 years.
Mrs. Romanello’s work with the Holy Innocents Society spanned more than 40 years. While Mr. Romanello was president of the Federation of Holy Innocents Societies and director for the Holy Cross Learning Center, Trenton, for more than three decades, Mrs. Romanello served as the Learning Center’s coordinator.
As parishioners of the former St. James Parish, and as members of the current Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing, the Romanellos together and individually were active in a number of ministries including the parish pastoral council, the Pre-Cana committee, coordinators of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to the homebound and parish trustees.
Both Romanellos have been the recipients of numerous awards including the Department of NJ Catholic War Veterans for Home Award and the Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Award. As a couple, they were honored in 2007 with the Diocese of Trenton Nostrum Ecclesiam Tempus (Now is Our Time to Be Church) Award and in 2009, with the NJ Coalition for Inclusion Ministries in collaboration with Open R.O.A.D. Leadership Award.
In addition to her husband, who died in 2021, Mrs. Romanello was predeceased by her parents and her brother. She is survived by her two daughters, Deborahann (and her husband, Nicholas) Solimando, and Diane (and her husband David) Glover; three grandchildren; six great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins and friends.
Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 38105 or www.stjude.org or Tunnel to Towers Foundation, www.t2t.org