A Touch of Heaven in Fort Lee

In Coytesville, just north of Holy Trinity Church, nestled in a tiny row of stores on Lemoine Ave., you can find A Touch of Heaven. is a traditional Catholic Book and Gift Store owned and operated by Emily (Lee) and Aldo Carfagna. Aldo has close ties to Fort Lee. Not only did he grow up just over the border in Englewood Cliffs, but many members of his family live in Fort Lee.

In 1994, Aldo had plans for opening up a hardware store in Coytesville, but being a thoughtful husband, he asked his wife Lee what type of store she would like to open. Lee, an avid reader and one of the most kind and spiritually guided people ever, decided she wanted to combine her undeniable love of books with her undeniably firm faith. Guess who won out?

Despite having no prior retail experience, Lee and Aldo decided to take a huge leap of faith and open the store. While relating their lack of experience to About Town, Sister Rose Marie O’Brien from Holy Trinity, who happened to be in the store, added, “God doesn’t choose the ones who are equipped. He equips the ones he chooses.”

And there you have it. 

Lee and Aldo decided to combine books with gifts, and so A Touch of Heaven was born—or at least the concept was born; with the opening of the store looming they still didn’t have a name. While driving on Route 80 one day, Aldo told Lee that they really had to have a name. As cars and trucks whizzed by “A Touch of Heaven” spilled from Lee’s lips. And so the store was named. A Touch of Heaven opened its doors on Aug. 15, 1994 (the Feast of the Assumption) around the corner in a smaller space on Washington Ave. After seven years, the inventory outgrew the space, and in 2004 A Touch of Heaven moved to its current location on Lemoine Ave.

The store is really a neighborhood hub. During the time About Town was there, a nonstop flow of people came into the store to purchase communion gifts, items for CCD classes, medals of Saints, prayer cards and more. Not only is walking into the store like going on a mini-retreat because it exudes the hushed peaceful calm of a sanctuary, but Aldo and Lee are so warm and engaging that they invite you into conversation, and before you know it, an hour has passed. This is the place to come when you’re feeling stressed.

When asked what the biggest selling items are, they said that the Bibles were the most sought after item, followed by the St. Joseph Home Sale Kit. For those of you who don’t know, over the years, the tradition arose of St. Joseph having a special power in real estate transactions. European nuns buried a medal with his likeness on property they hoped to acquire for convents. Gradually, the medals were replaced with statues and the focus changed from buying to selling. The statue is buried upside down in the front yard with the feet pointing to heaven. It may face towards the home (or towards the street if you want your neighbor's home to sell!) The location of the statue can vary: by the "For Sale" sign, in a flower pot (popular for condo owners), etc.

A Touch of Heaven is one of those stores that you don’t realize how much you need until you have a baptism, communion, confirmation or wedding to attend. And this being the height of Communion season, A Touch of Heaven carries the Communion Kit containing a missile, rosary, pin and scapular. They also carry ties for boys and veils for girls—all reasonably priced. There is one gift that A Touch of Heaven carries that About Town is extremely fond of—an heirloom baptismal bonnet for a baby girl that turns into a handkerchief she can carry at her communion, confirmation, and on her wedding day before placing it on the head of her own daughter as she’s baptized.

A Touch of Heaven has even had some notable people walk through its door. For you Bravo fans, Teresa Gudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey shops at A Touch of Heaven.

A Touch of Heaven carries everything you need for every sacrament, as well as cards, wrapping paper, gifts, frames, statues, jewelry, statues, books and more. So much more. They even have an aisle that contains books, games and puzzles for children.

A Touch of Heaven is open Tuesday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It’s closed Sunday and Monday.

So take some time out of your busy schedule and stop in to see Lee and Aldo. It’s a little Touch of Heaven in the middle of your crazy day.

A Touch of Heaven is located at 2427 Lemoine Ave.; 201-947-9090.