The Brooklyn resident took up her mission after losing a family member to the world pandemic.
A native of Brooklyn, New York — one of the areas of America hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic — is taking it upon herself to help bring peace to those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Using her considerable skills at graphic design, Rita Piro is creating personalized digital memorials for those who cannot gather for funeral rites, a service she is providing free of charge.
In an interview with Jessica Easthope, from NetNY, Piro explained that her mission was born of her own tragic loss of a family member. She said:
“I lost a favorite and beloved uncle. And we too could not have any type of traditional mourning service which in our Catholic faith has an incredible role.”
Letting her own grief spur her work, Rita creates printable memorial cards filled with pictures, brief biographies, and quotes from the deceased, beautifully set alongside prayers and intentions. In order to ensure that the families can print their digital memorials, they are sized at 8.5 x 11 and from the video, featured above, it seems they can easily be turned into book-like packets.
NetNY reports that Piro has already created more than 100 of these digital memorials, which she says families have been using to pray together in online meetings. Of her good work, Piro said:
“We are all called to serve,” she added. “It’s just another way to serve with the mission of Christ and we’re all compelled to do that as Catholics.”
