Families demand action over conditions at cemetery

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — Loved ones of family members laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery are calling for urgent change, citing unsafe and disrespectful conditions in and around burial sites.

Flooded crypts, damaged headstones, and pungent odors are just a few of the issues that families say they encounter when visiting the graves of their loved ones. Multiple families spoke with WIVB News 4 on Monday, expressing frustration and concern.

“We’re just worried about the structural integrity of where we put our loved ones to rest,” said Karen Grana.

St. Joseph Cemetery, located on Pine Avenue, contains 13,000 graves and nearly 2,000 crypts. For some families, the site holds deep generational ties.

“This is the worst in the past two years that we’ve seen this,” said Debra and Eugene Pucci, whose family has buried 40 loved ones at the cemetery over the years.

Maria Ognibene and Karen Grana pointed to the Pieta Mausoleum as a major source of concern, citing a leaking roof that has remained unrepaired since last spring.

“Green mold all over. The rugs were saturated,” said Ognibene.

“You can immediately smell the smell. And then I came to this end here and there was a lot of puddles,” said Grana.

The cemetery is managed under the Buffalo Diocese and belongs to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish. Father Mario Racho serves as the administrator. According to him, he and the cemetery committee walked the grounds last week, removing moldy carpets, cleaning algae, replacing headstones, and, in a Facebook post, stated that “the roof has been repaired.”

However, families say they found flooding again on Sunday after recent rainfall.

“Now that the rainy season and the fall is coming, it’s just going to get worse,” said Pucci.

Frustrated by what they feel is inaction, multiple families have filed a formal complaint with the New York State Attorney General.

In a statement to News 4, Father Mario said that “estimates from three different roofing contractors have been made,” with repairs expected to continue.

Another major complaint involved the behavior of the former cemetery manager, who, according to Father Mario, has since been fired.

“They are not answering us and nothing is being done,” said Ognibene.

Families also cited issues with falling trees, crumbling headstones, faded nameplates, and alleged double-selling of crypt space by the previous manager.

Father Mario addressed these concerns in his statement, noting that they “are repairing damaged headstones and faded nameplates, have contacted the city about the trees that have fallen, and have reached out to the family in question and are working to identify an alternative burial option for them.”

While many families say they have faith their loved ones are at peace, they express little faith in the cemetery’s efforts to resolve ongoing issues.

“The front of the cemetery where my parents are, there was a water main break, pipes exposed — and it’s still not fixed five years later,” said Pucci.

“We’ve been told so many different things. They’re not coming into fruition. I don’t know. I would like to believe it. At this point, I’m really not sure,” said Grana.

Father Mario concluded his statement by assuring that “a robust program for maintenance and care of all burial grounds and mausoleums going forward will be implemented.”

Still, families are asking for their loved ones’ crypts to be opened — free of charge — to confirm that no damage has been done.

See the full statement from St. Joseph Cemetery in response to the allegations and concerns below.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)