I am following up on my previous bocce documentary distribution post. Our film, The World Series of Bocce: A Celebration of Sport, Family and Community, was screened on Saturday, May 18 at Capitol Cinema in Rome as part of a Local Short Film Showcase. My family, co-producer Bill Vinci and editor Mary Kasprzyk attended the event.
From L to R: Francis DiClemente, Bill Vinci and Mary Kasprzyk.
That same day, in the morning, the cremated remains of my father were buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery. My dad had passed away in 2007, but I only found out recently that the plot he had purchased many years ago remained under his name—meaning we could inter his ashes in the cemetery. My sister, Lisa, had kept them with her in Ohio for all these years.
There’s no headstone or grave marker to indicate where Francis Sr. now rests, but it’s a nice spot tucked in a green corner not far from the intersection of Herkimer Avenue and Cayuga Street. I’m sure he’d approve of the location, especially since it’s only a few hundred feet from his parents’ graves.
St. Peter’s Cemetery in Rome, NY.
Under gray skies, Father I. presided over the burial service, sprinkling holy water while small, flying insects buzzed around us, my sister swatting them away.
Father I. said, “We are returning Francis. He stayed with you for a while, and now it’s time for him to rest. We know his spirit is already in heaven.”
Father I. then said the most consoling words I’ve ever heard at a wake, funeral or memorial service: “When you see him again, he will not look old. He will not look young. He will just be. And you will know him, and he will know you.”
And just a final note. The documentary will make its broadcast premiere on WCNY on July 11. But you can watch it for free now through the PBS app.
Francis DiClemente 