At St. Ignatius Funeral, Mario Cuomo to Join List of Notable Figures and Celebrities

Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo will be laid to rest at St. Ignatius Loyola Church on the Upper East Side Tuesday.

The Catholic Church which began ministering in 1855 is home to several notable funerals, including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, singers Aaliyah and Lena Horne, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and designer Oscar de la Renta.

Parishioner Sabrina Ng said St. Ignatius is a fitting place to pay respects to the beloved former Governor.

“The church inside is beautiful,” Ng said. “Everyone at the church is amazing. It holds a lot of people and I’m sure it’s going to be filled on Tuesday.”

Parishioner Binta Brown who was outside of the church, after a Sunday mass, said she is considering attending the funeral.

Brown said she was part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s transition team, working on his transportation advisory committee, and that the Governor’s father meant a lot to her career, as well.

“Gov. [Mario] Cuomo and JFK and Catholic leaders of that sort really helped people like myself realize how you could be a good and devout Catholic on the one hand and public servant who advocates on behalf of everyone on the other," she said. "He was emblematic of that." 

Brown said she has been a parishioner of St. Ignatius for the past 20 years.

The church is on the Cardinal Timothy Dolan's list of 112 parishes expected to be consolidated.