A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 7 in St. David the King Church, Princeton Junction, for Siena Marie Brachelli, a 2024 graduate of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, who died Jan. 31 in an automobile accident. She was 19.
Brachelli, a student at St. Joseph University, Philadelphia, was driving northbound on Interstate 95 near the Academy Road exit in Philadelphia at about 11:30 a.m. when her SUV hit a guardrail and overturned. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Michele P. Martinez, principal of Notre Dame High School, told The Monitor that the school community was “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by Brachelli’s death.
“We extend our most heartfelt prayers and sincere condolences to Siena’s family and friends during this time of profound sorrow,” Martinez said.
“As we grieve together, we place our trust in God’s loving presence, drawing strength from our shared faith and from one another. We hold Siena’s life and the beautiful memories she leaves behind close to our hearts. In the loving words of her parents, ‘Siena was born a spark, a warmth that radiated effortlessly, and a kindness that never needed to be taught.’ May her light continue to shine in all who were blessed to know her, and may God grant comfort and peace to all who mourn.”
Martinez said the school was offering counseling and mental health services to students and staff.
St. Joseph University also was offering support resources. In a statement to NJ.com, the university extended “our heartfelt condolences to the student’s family, friends and loved ones.”
Representatives of the Notre Dame community honored Siena’s memory through their presence at the funeral Mass, which was celebrated by Father Jason Parzynski, who is the pastor of St. David the King Parish and former chaplain at Notre Dame High School. Father Parzynski has known the family for 10 years.
Other priests concelebrated the Mass, including Conventual Franciscan Father Brennan Joseph Farleo, who offered the homily. Father Farleo or “Father B” as he is known, is parochial vicar in St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach and a long-time family friend.
Father Farleo told The Monitor, “I baptized Siena, I gave her her First Holy Communion, I was at her Confirmation and now I laid her to rest,” he said, his voice, filling with emotion.
In his homily, “Father B” implored the congregation to, even in their grief, “please, please please, never, ever turn your back on God. No matter how high the mountain you have to climb or how deep the hole is you have to dig out of, trust in him, cling to him, he is with you, he is your best friend.”
The Notre Dame Facebook page was filled with condolences that remembered Siena as a loving, joyful person who cared deeply about others.
“We are heartbroken and extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers to Siena Brachelli’s ’24 family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the school posted Feb. 2. “As we navigate this profound loss together, we remain united in our faith in God. We hold Siena’s loved ones close to our hearts. In this moment of sorrow, we find strength in our shared memories of Siena and in the grace of our community. She will be deeply missed.”
Brachelli was a classmate of Daniel Haas, who also died in an automobile accident in August 2024, just before entering college.
After adding a prayer to the social media post, Notre Dame officials wrote they were comforted knowing the students were reunited, “resting in Your peace.”
Joey’s Little Angels organization, headed by NDHS’s dean of students, James Angiolino, has started a fundraising campaign on behalf of the Brachelli family, noting their “tremendous support” of the charity that collects toys for children with prolonged illnesses. Those interested in participating can visit gofundme.com and search “Brachelli Family.”
Brachelli graduated from St. Raphael School, Hamilton, in 2020, and the school posted: “There are no words that can fully express the sorrow we feel as a community. In our grief, we turn to our faith and to one another. Our hearts remain heavy, yet we trust that Siena is held in God’s loving embrace.”
The St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish and school community gathered Feb. 2 to pray for Brachelli. After 11:30 a.m. Mass Feb. 1, the Brachelli family prayed a Rosary for Siena’s soul to rest in peace and strength.
At NDHS, Brachelli worked as a team manager for the school’s varsity baseball team. Following high school, she studied political science at SJU. She belonged to the Delta Psi chapter of Tri Sigma sorority and worked with Ordinarie Heroes, a Philadelphia nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing educational and health disparities among young people.
She is survived by her parents, Nicholas and Melissa Brachelli; her brothers, Noah and Dylan; her grandparents, Joann Brachelli, Patricia and Robert Renaud; as well as other family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Kenneth Brachelli.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Daniel Haas & Siena Brachelli ’24 Memorial Scholarship Fund. All gifts may be sent to Notre Dame High School, 601 Lawrence Road, Lawrence Twp., NJ, 08648. Donations may be made online at https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/29441/donations/new, using the “Daniel Haas ’24 Memorial Scholarship” as the designation.