Sunlight filtered through the courtyard of the Chapel Lawn Mausoleum in Charles Evans Cemetery as a group of about 25 gathered to remember four deceased infants.<\/p>\n
The gathering in the sun-warmed space Saturday afternoon was nothing less than a mitzvah, a sacred obligation, Rabbi Brian I. Michelson told the solemn assembly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s what, in Jewish tradition, we might translate as a good deed,\u201d Michelson said. \u201cBut it\u2019s more than that. It\u2019s fulfilling part of our relationship with God. It is a mitzvah that you are here today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelson, rabbi of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, Wyomissing, and the Rev. Bruce G. Osterhout, pastor of a Lutheran partnership that includes Trinity Church in Reading, led the interfaith memorial for the four babies whose unclaimed ashes had been stored in the Berks County coroner\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
The service, coordinated by Chloe and Adam Ciferri of the Adalyn Rose Foundation, gave final rest to Baby Girl Rodriguez, Abrahan Dominguez-Ubri, Jailys Michaud and Aaliyah Cruz.<\/p>\n
![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Adam-and-Chloe-Ciferri.jpg\")
Adam and Chloe Ciferri of the Adalyn Rose Foundation speak at an interfaith memorial for four infants at Charles Evans Cemetery. The unclaimed ashes of the four babies had been stored in the Berks County coroner\u2019s office.
\n(Courtesy of Charles Evans Cemetery.)<\/p>\n
The Exeter Township couple founded the foundation in 2020 after losing their daughter, Adalyn Rose, in the second trimester of pregnancy in 2017. Their organization helps families cope with pregnancy and infant loss and works to ensure that no baby in Berks is left without an honorable burial.<\/p>\n
The service Saturday was the second of its kind organized by the foundation. The group held a similar ceremony in 2022 for seven unclaimed infants after Adam Ciferri reached out to Coroner John Fielding.<\/p>\n
This year, Fielding contacted the foundation, which again paid the fees for the release of the cremains.<\/p>\n
Reading\u2019s historic Charles Evans Cemetery donated space in its columbarium and an Oregon potter provided four matching white urns.<\/p>\n
The small cylindrical urns stood in a row on a tabletop as prayers, Scripture and poetry were read aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe gather here in this gentle moment of farewell to honor the lives and memories of these tiniest of souls,\u201d Michelson said. \u201cThough their time with us was brief, the love, hope and sorrow are deep and real.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rabbi read from Ecclesiastes, \u201cTo everything there is a season,\u201d and led the mourners in a silent prayer of praise in memory of the dead.<\/p>\n
Osterhout followed with Christian readings and prayers.<\/p>\n
\u201cOurs is a God of justice, and some justice needs to be brought to this situation,\u201d he said. \u201cFinally, they have a place where they can be remembered: A place to be visited, to eventually be joined by others who love them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pastor read the 23rd Psalm and a passage from the Gospel of John before blessing the remains of each child and asking those attending to join in the Lord\u2019s Prayer.<\/p>\n
Fielding, who took office as coroner four years ago, also spoke, reflecting on the journey that brought the babies to their final resting place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe owe them basic respect and dignity in passing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe owe them a place of honor, and at least a time of remembrance, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing here today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fielding credited the Ciferris and their foundation for turning compassion into action.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also present to honor Chloe and Adam Ciferri, parents who experienced tragedy and use their grief to help others,\u201d he said. \u201cIn my life, I\u2019ve seen few more generous and compassionate acts than their effort to bring to rest the four eternal souls we have with us on this autumn afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Nally, superintendent of Charles Evans Cemetery, said the cemetery\u2019s board of trustees and staff were honored to again partner in the effort.<\/p>\n
At the close of the service, attendees were invited to hold pebbles in their hands before placing them on the table next to the urns to signify that the deceased babies are no longer unclaimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSqueeze it, hold it, give it your positive love and energy,\u201d Adam Ciferri instructed. \u201cWhen you\u2019re ready, please place it up here with the babies so they can always be surrounded by all of our love.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sunlight filtered through the courtyard of the Chapel Lawn Mausoleum in Charles Evans Cemetery as a group of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31952,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,857,1411,182,139,28,736,128,130,129,706],"class_list":{"0":"post-31951","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reading","8":"tag-berks-county","9":"tag-essential-reading","10":"tag-exeter-township","11":"tag-local-news","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-pennsylvania","14":"tag-reading","15":"tag-reading-city","16":"tag-reading-city-headlines","17":"tag-reading-city-news","18":"tag-top-stories-reg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}