Carmela Marie Cristiano

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. She also founded two nonprofit corporations during her career.

Biography Early life Cristiano was born to Francis and Mary (née 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.

Career Sister Carmela worked as a schoolteacher throughout North Jersey for more than 20 years before entering social work. 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 the 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.