In the U.S., a ceremony in Manhattan for 9 homeless people who died freezing in winter
A ceremony was held at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan for 9 homeless people who died freezing last winter in New York and were not taken in by relatives.
A funeral service was held at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan for nine homeless people who died of hypothermia during the winter in New York City. The graves of the eight men and one woman had gone unclaimed by relatives, leaving them ownerless. According to ABC7 New York's November 2, 2026 report, those nine were among the 18 people who lost their lives in New York streets during the winter due to cold weather. The funerals of the other nine who died were claimed by their relatives.
The funeral ceremony was held on All Souls' Day.
The ceremony was conducted under the All Souls' Day observance, which commemorates those who have died in Christian tradition, on November 2. The service held at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan began at 5:30 p.m. and was open to the public. After the ceremony, the cremated remains of the nine were interred in a private area of the church's Resurrection Chapel.
The burial of the graves on Hart Island was planned.
The remains of the nine whose bodies had not been claimed by relatives were planned to be buried on Hart Island, the site New York uses for unclaimed graves. However, with the initiative of civil‑society representative Rhonda Roland Shearer, the funeral arrangements for these individuals were taken over.
Shearer led the preparation of the funeral arrangements by contacting forensic‑medicine institutions and other organizations through the Art and Science Research Laboratory and the group CutRedTape4Heroes.
Names of Nine Individuals Revealed
The organizations that organized the ceremony also shared the names of the deceased. At the memorial service, the names of James, Manjeet, Harold, Tomeka, Jorge, Jeffrey, Eduardo, Joseph, and Igor were honored.
Church officials said they intended to remember these individuals not only as unidentified funerals but with their lives and names.
Funeral Expenses Covered by Donations
The event was carried out in cooperation with St. Thomas Church, Housing Works, CutRedTape4Heroes, and International Funeral & Cremation Services.
Patrick J. Marmo, owner of the funeral services company in New York, donated the funeral procedures and organizational costs. Housing Works, meanwhile, worked with city authorities to facilitate the acceptance of unclaimed funerals.
18 People Died in New York Due to Cold Weather
According to data from the New York Forensic Medicine Institute, at least 18 people died of hypothermia across the city last winter. While the funerals of half of these individuals were taken over by relatives, churches and civil society organizations stepped in for the other nine. At the ceremony arranged, the remains of those nine were permanently buried at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan instead of Hart Island.
Comments
You must sign in to comment.
Sign InYou Might Also Like
After colliding with the goalkeeper, he lost his fight for life.
In the match between Tenerife and Andorra in Spain's 2nd Division, the 30‑year‑old Jesús de Miguel, who collapsed after colliding with the goalkeeper, lost his life in the hospital where he was taken. Tenerife Club announced the player's death.
Critical week for Bitcoin: Two developments could decide the markets' fate
Bitcoin is entering a busy week with the release of U.S. midterm election results and October employment data. From the balance of power in Congress to the Fed's interest‑rate policy, many developments could influence the direction of the crypto market. The balance sheets to be announced by tech giants will also test investors' risk appetite.
Registration for 2027 health insurance has begun in the United States!
In the United States, the enrollment period for 2027 health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) began on November 1. In the new cycle, premium increases, tightened identity checks, and changes that limit some immigrants' access to financial assistance are on the agenda.
.avif){kind=small}