Within Mount Carmel Cemetery is one of the most haunting gravesites in all of Chicagoland. This cemetery is located in Hillside, Illinois, a Chicago suburb to the west. Mount Carmel attracts visitors from all around the world. They arrive to visit Julia’s headstone’s “Italian Bride” monument.
Within Mount Carmel Cemetery is one of the most haunting gravesites in all of Chicagoland. This cemetery is located in Hillside, Illinois, a Chicago suburb to the west. No, this is not the tomb of Al Capone, the most renowned of Chicago’s criminals, despite the fact that he is buried there. This grave, on the other hand, is the eternal resting place of a claimed saint. A location that will undoubtedly send shivers down your spine!
Julia Buccola, a young Italian-American woman, died while giving birth to her child in 1921. This in and of itself was heartbreaking. Even more tragically, the infant perished as well. Julia’s father was devastated by the death of his cherished daughter. Julia was clothed in her bridal gown and veil and placed in her coffin. She held the infant in her arms. They were laid to rest together at Mount Carmel. Julia’s mother began experiencing dreams about her dead daughter not long after the burial. Julia was calling to her in them, asking to be dug up! Julia’s mother got increasingly worried as the dreams continued for six years.
She finally decided to have Julia’s body exhumed. As the day came, Julia’s mother joined a group of grave diggers at the cemetery. The laborers excavated the earth. Julia’s mother held her breath as they wrenched open the casket lid. She was expecting to witness something horrible. Julia’s body had been properly maintained for six years, which surprised her. Her skin was smooth and flushed, and not a hair was out of place. Julia’s white gown was also pristine, precisely as it had been on her wedding day.
Julia’s mother first assumed that some bizarre coincidence had preserved the contents of the casket. Perhaps the coffin’s tight seal protected air and wetness from harming Julia’s skin and clothes. But what about the baby’s? Julia had buried the infant in her arms. The baby’s corpse and clothing, unlike Julia’s, were fully decayed. Julia’s mother was perplexed as to why her daughter had plagued her nightmares and requested to be dug up. The reason Julia’s body had been so carefully kept remained a mystery as well. Julia’s relatives and friends thought it was a miracle.
They felt Julia’s preserved corpse was a sign from God acknowledging her loving and giving attitude. They deduced that she was a saint based on this. Her body’s preservation was certainly proof that because she had been so kind, she would be allowed eternal life. Many people have come to believe that Julia Buccola is a saint since her reburial. The Catholic Church, however, has not acknowledged her as such. Yet, Italian American women preparing for labor in Chicago hope Julia will assist them in having a healthy baby. Julia’s narrative is widely-known among other ethnic groups as well.
Mount Carmel attracts visitors from all around the world. They arrive to visit Julia’s headstone’s “Italian Bride” monument. They also see the unsettling black-and-white image affixed to the front of the marble monument. On the day Julia was discovered, she was laying sweetly and pleasantly in her casket!
