Nola – A packed cathedral, a silence filled with emotion, and then the broken but firm words of a mother. They are those of Patrizia Mercolino, who from the altar of the Cathedral bid her son, little Domenico Caliendo, one last farewell, at the conclusion of the funeral ceremony held in the Cathedral of Nola.
«He's hugging us all»
“If all this crowd moved today, it’s only thanks to Domenico, his smile, his big eyes, and his sweetness,” the woman said, addressing the hundreds of people present.
"Right now, he's embracing us all. I hope this isn't the last day we think of him, that we can keep him in a corner of our hearts. I love you, my mother's heart."
His words were greeted with a long and moving round of applause, which spread through the church nave and transformed into a collective embrace for the family.
During her speech, the mother thanked the institutions present. Among them were Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who attended the religious service, the Prefect of Naples, the President of the Campania Region, the Mayor of Nola and the Mayor of Naples, as well as other representatives of local governments.
Special thanks were also extended to the ecclesiastical authorities: the Bishop of Nola, Monsignor Francesco Marino, and Cardinal Mimmo Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, who were present along with the priests of the diocese.
A farewell that unites the city
The community's unanimous participation marked a day of shared mourning for Nola and the entire region. A composed crowd gathered around the family's grief and the memory of a child who—as his mother emphasized—"is embracing everyone with his sweetness."
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