About Us
Our Mission
Throughout life, human beings are involved in a journey. In addition to the human experiences of birth, growth and development, there is a spiritual journey taken by disciples of Jesus within the Christian faith community. Throughout this faith journey, the Church is present to celebrate significant moments of life. The Church is present to meet the needs of hunger and healing, commitment and maturity by continuing the mission of Jesus among us today. Since death is also a part of the human journey, it is only right that the Church should also be present when human beings confront this reality.
The Catholic Cemeteries Association exists to meet the needs of individuals and parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland in preparation for, at the time of, and following the death event. The ministry we provide extends into the areas of liturgy, prayer, comfort, support, grief and evangelization. Our ministry is rooted in the reality of the human person as an embodied spirit. That embodiment is sacred, for it locates the human spirit in history and in place. Just as the human body deserves to be treated with respect and dignity in life, so should it be treated in death. In providing a consecrated place for burial, we treat that body with dignity after death. We set aside sacred space where remembering can be fostered and centered, and we provide a place for liturgical celebration. We serve as a symbol of the extended community of the Church - a community unbroken by death - and, like the sacrament of the Eucharist, celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord, which offer to us the promise of eternal life.
Our History
A Catholic cemetery is more than a place for the burial of the dead. It represents the continuation, even in death, of the harmony and spiritual alliance which makes all Catholics members of one great family, thereby constituting it actually a family ground or plot. The early Christians wished to separate themselves definitely from the pagans and consequently made provision for the burial of their dead in a manner befitting the beliefs of the infant Church. The testimony of the Acts of the Apostles and of such other writers as Tertullian proves not only the existence of a definite burial ritual, but also the observance of the regular anniversaries of the dead. Since the pagan law gave a certain amount of protection to the burial places of all people, even criminals, it was comparatively easy for the early Christians to develop their burial customs according to the religious belief which the Church, even at that early age, demanded.
Consequently, the Church has become through the ages, the jealous guardian of definite practices, which have developed from Her very essence. The pagan religions encouraged cremation as a privilege since the belief was common in their philosophies that the soul and fire are formed of a common substance. The Church frowned upon this practice, recalling that the human body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The early Christians, following the example of the Jews, usually buried the dead below ground or in the side of the hills, as Christ was interred. Sometimes they followed the practice of the country when it did not interfere with essential teachings of the Church. In Rome, for example, many of the earliest Christians were buried in tombs above ground. It is probable that many of them, including Saint Peter, were buried below ground in a cemetery just outside of the Circus of Nero; the site of which is now occupied by a section of the Basilica of Saint Peter. The graves were marked by small mounds
Burial in the catacombs followed this principle. Sections of ground were supplied usually by wealthy Christians, and the erection of a single tomb upon it gave it the immunity, which the Roman law provided for all burial places. Most European travelers are familiar with the great catacombs of Saint Callistus which were thus located upon land supplied by the family of Saint Cecilia. The faithful manifested early the desire to be buried near the martyr-heroes of the Faith. During the eras of the great persecutions, it was often necessary for the Christians to take refuge in the catacombs and at such times, Mass was frequently celebrated on the tomb of a saint or martyr since no other suitable table or flat surface was available. This practice eventually gave rise to the beautiful custom of placing relics of a saint in the altar stone. Since the art of the early Christians generously made use of symbols, these places were appropriately marked by them, giving them a significance which since has made them a definite part of Catholic teaching and tradition.
This veneration of the martyrs eventually led to the practice of burying the dead within the Church or, at least, very nearby. The body of the brother of Saint Ambrose, for example, was buried within a Church and next to the body of a martyr. As the number of the faithful increased, this privilege was restricted to the bishops and clergy. Burial then took place in land surrounding the Church, as is common today, it may still retain this title since it is a sacred spot and is as solemnly blessed as the Church itself.
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Consecration of Cemeteries
The consecration of cemeteries is an extremely ancient custom of the Church. It can be traced back as far as Saint Gregory of Tours (d.593), and the ceremony was a development from the ritual prescribed in early pontificals.
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Burial Traditions
Similar to the first Christians, who in their burial inscriptions referred to the day of death as the "birthday", so they and their followers of the present day adorn the graves of the departed with a cross, the consoling sign of redemption into new life of eternal happiness. While other symbols may be used to elaborate monuments erected, this symbol remains, however, the most succinct statement of Catholic faith in the final Resurrection.
There is considerable ceremony connected with the burial of the dead, most of which, previously stated, is very ancient and deeply significant. The pagans, even the Jews, hired men and women to bewail and lament their dead. The Church, on the contrary, introduced the singing of psalms and hymns by the clergy and faithful. The prayers employed are calculated to inspire consolation and hope. Grief is a sign of affection, and the Church justifies mourning, but She also condemns it when it takes on a note of despair, as Saint Paul testifies (Thess. IV, 12) when he says: "And we will not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope."
It is significant that Saint Paul uses the term "asleep", which was later adopted universally as referring to burial places. The word originally comes from the Greek, but the English derivative is from the Latin "cimiterium", which means a "sleeping place." It was applied to a single tomb or to an entire burial ground. Modern usage sometimes employs the expression, "God's Acre," and the Church justifies it.
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Origin of Burial Customs
The use of lights has its origin as burials in the early Church took place at night. This was necessary because of the secrecy demanded during times of persecution. One of the most interesting and edifying customs has to do with the asking of prayers. In the very earliest days the names of the dead were sent from Church to Church, usually being read during the Mass by the deacon. This is the origin of memorial cards, which today are distributed by the family or friends of the deceased. Saint John Chrysostom provided the authority for the belief that the custom was ordained by the Apostles.
In former times a corpse was exposed in the Church for one, two, or three days. The faithful spent the night in prayer nearby. This service was called the "vigil". Masses for the departed were said during this time. The burial Mass was called the Mass of Requiem. A Mass on the third day after the burial commemorated the Resurrection of Christ on the third day. The seven-day Mass was mindful of the rest the Creator took on the seventh day and, in the same manner, the rest of the deceased from earthly toil. The thirty-day Mass, or Month's Mind, commemorated the thirty days of mourning by the Israelites over the deaths of Moses and Aaron.
Another interesting practice is that of placing the bodies in the ground in such a manner that they face towards the east. While this practice is not necessarily enjoined by the Church and is no longer followed, its origin is another indication of the Church's adherence to appropriate symbolism. The sun, rising in the east, is the physical light of the world and is a symbol of the Resurrection. When bodies are facing the east, it signifies that the deceased places his hope in Christ who is the light of the soul. In a similar manner, Churches were once built with their altars facing the east. When individuals were buried in the Church, the face of the deceased was turned toward the altar, therefore toward the east. The bodies of the clergy were reversed, since during life they were turned from the altar toward the people.
While the manner of Christian burial has necessarily undergone some changes, it remains fundamentally the same, being established by definite teachings on redemption and eternal life. From time to time the Church has found it necessary to remind the faithful of the sacred character of Catholic burial customs and services. The demands of the Church are based upon teachings, which make it clear that burial in a Catholic cemetery was not only a holy privilege, but also a requirement which was dispensed with only in exceptional cases. The members of the Church, living and dead, are a part of the body of the same Church, united by a common head, Jesus Christ, into a confraternity which is without limit of time. The cemetery is a sacred place because it holds the relics of many who are already enjoying the Beatific Vision. It is a sure link between heaven and earth, between time and eternity.
Consequently, the Church makes definite regulations which are born of love rather than stringency. The burial plot is one of the focal points of Catholic devotion, but it is also, in a worldly sense, a place of much historical interest. The chapters which follow will attempt to tell briefly the story of some of Cleveland's Catholic burial places. They will recall the story of the Church's solicitnoll for Her dead, and to make clear the reasonableness of Catholic demands regarding certain practices and what may be termed "Catholic privacy" in maintaining her own places of burial. The history of local Catholic cemeteries is bound up with the history of the Diocese of Cleveland, and as such should prove of interest that is fraternal and Christian rather than simply academic.
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Early Catholic Burials in Cleveland
The village of Cleveland was thirty years old before the first Catholics arrived. The original settlers came from New England and brought with them a pronounced anti-Catholic feeling which evidently was instrumental in deterring members of the Faith from taking up residence in the young settlement. Farther to the south in Stark and Columbiana Counties this bias was not keenly felt and Catholicism consequently took root there somewhat earlier. An undertaking which was instrumental in the commercial advancement of Cleveland was likewise responsible for the coming of the first Catholics to the village. On July 4, 1825 ground was broken for the construction of the Ohio Canal which was to connect Lake Erie with the Ohio River at Portsmouth. The total population at that time was about 500, but the steady influx of laborers, chiefly Irish, to work on the project doubled the population within a year. These laborers were shortly strung along the canal as far as Akron. Dominican priests from Perry County, including the Rev. Stephen T. Badin, the first priest ordained in the United States, ministered to them in such places as were available for the purpose.
Work upon the canal progressed slowly and the hazards were many. Illness, due to the marshy condition of the right-of-way and lack of sanitation took many lives. Most deaths were due to malaria and typhoid. An inspection of the earliest records of Erie Street Cemetery reveal a number of Irish names, possibly those of laborers who were buried in the original village burial ground at what is now the intersection of Ontario Street and Prospect Avenue. When Erie Street Cemetery, then known as City Cemetery, was opened, these bodies were removed and reinterred chiefly in sections along Erie Street just inside the fence. No record other than the name, date, and age is given, and in all cases the men died in early age.
The canal was completed in a few years and the Catholic population disappeared as far as appreciable numbers are concerned. In 1835 the Rt. Rev. John Baptist Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati, in whose jurisdiction Cleveland was then located, sent the Rev. John Dillon to the young community and its handful of Catholics as first resident pastor. The young priest is said to have found five Catholic families then living in the village. Among them were the families of Patrick Smith, who had come from Ireland in 1833, and the Olwill family, which arrived a few years later. These families later became connected by marriage and a number of their descendants are still living in Cleveland. The first Irish, and ostensibly Catholic, name to be found identified with the early history of the village is that of William Murphy who arrived in 1830. Nothing further is known of him. The Conlon and Whelan families came over in 1837. Reference to them will again be made in the history of St. John Cemetery.
Father Dillon was a young, recently ordained priest of such renown as a preacher that many Protestants regularly attended his services. After having said Mass in public halls and private homes for a time, he secured the use of a cottage directly opposite Erie Street Cemetery. It served him as a residence and chapel, and he died in it on October 15, 1836, after a trip to eastern cities to collect funds for the needs of his small flock. In his last illness he was attended to by the missionary priest, Rev. Stephen T. Badin, who came up from Stark County for the purpose. At his death he was twenty-nine years old and had served slightly more than two extremely useful years in the priesthood.
Father Dillon was buried in Erie Street Cemetery in a single grave in the northwest section, the exact location no longer being known as no record of the removal in 1852 was kept. Nor is there a record of his burial because a fire in the cemetery offices in 1840 destroyed all official documents. A similar misfortune visited the Catholics when Catholic cemetery records were damaged or destroyed in a fire which attacked the frame building in the rear of the old Episcopal residence in which the records were kept. During the earlier history of the diocese, the management of the cemeteries was entrusted in the curates of the cathedral, which accounts for the records being in that place. Consequently, much pertinent information related to early Catholic burials has been lost.
In 1847 the Holy Father had made Cleveland a separate diocese and in 1852 the lower structure of the cathedral was completed, old St. Mary on the Flats having served as a pro-cathedral until this time. The body of Father Dillon was removed form Erie Street Cemetery and placed in a vault beneath the main altar. It was removed again in accordance with a pact which is unique and edifying. In the days of his youth Father Dillon had formed a great friendship with another young man by the name of James Conlon. Its background was laid in County Leitrim, Ireland, where both were born, John Dillon at Drumcunny, and James Conlon at Mchill. It continued in the western wilderness and saw its culmination on September 20, 1834, in Cincinnati, Ohio when both were ordained to priesthood by Bishop Purcell. Father Conlon outlived his friend nearly forty years. Before his death in Charity Hospital, in 1875, Father Conlon requested that the remains of his dear friend be interred together with him, and they were consequently removed from the cathedral and the two bodies now lie in one grave in St. John Cemetery under a common monument.
Father Dillon is remembered as the first resident pastor of Cleveland and the originator of the movement which ended in the building of St. Mary on the Flats, the city's first Church. Father Conlon was the first Vicar General of the diocese and the first resident pastor of St. Patrick Church. There is no more honored name in the early history of the diocese than that of Conlon. A number of descendants of this family lived in Cleveland, among them the former dean of Ursuline College, Sister Mary Conzaga, O.S.U., who was grandniece of "old Father Conlon," as he was known among the Irish settlers.
The esteem in which Father Dillon was held is evident from an editorial which appeared in the Cleveland Adventurer, a pioneer newspaper, in its issue of October 20, 1836:
"The death of Father Dillon will be deeply felt by his bereaved and afflicted church. He was one of the first of our clergy in point of talent and piety, and though he labored in obscurity, yet he labored faithfully and well."
As has already been said, the first Catholics to arrive in Cleveland were probably laborers on the Ohio Canal, chiefly Irish and a smaller number of Germans and Dutch. The family names of some of these first members of Father Dillon's congregation are known, but the surnames are missing, making identification difficult. Among them are such names as Detmer, Matthews, Olwill, Tuley, Wamelink, Lawler, Smith, Ffitzpatrick, Duffy, Golden, Toole, McCarthy, Byrne, and Mulcahy.
The Wamelink family here referred to is that of the father of John T. Wamelink, who is remembered as the revered organist of St. John Cathedral. The younger Wamelink, as a youth of fourteen, became the first organist of St. Mary on the Flats. When the superstructure of the cathedral was completed, a new organ was installed, which the Cleveland Herald of that time refers to as the finest in the district, and John T. Wamelink continued as organist until his death in 1900. The remains of the elder Wamelink still remain in Erie Street Cemetery, where they were placed in 1843. Most of his descendants are buried in St. John Cemetery.
Before the establishment of the Diocese, Catholic burials were made in public cemeteries. At that time the only burial ground in the community was in the eastern section of the village at the intersection, already referred to, of Ontario and Prospect Avenues. When Erie Street Cemetery was opened, all bodies were removed to the new location, to the number of about 500. With the opening of St. Joseph Cemetery in 1850, and St. John in 1858, removal of Catholic bodies were again made, although a small number still remain, chiefly single graves. Some bodies were removed by the city when the sections on the north and south boundaries were condemned for roadway purposes.
It is possible to identify some of the names by records or grave markers when they are obviously Catholic. Apparently the oldest Catholic grave in the cemetery is that of William Delaney who died on April 26, 1836. Among other graves are those of Dennis Reardon, C. McShane, and Stephen Monohan, all of who died before 1840 and are still interred in the cemetery. Thomas Toole, evidently the Toole who was a charter member of Father Dillon's congregation, Hugh Donohue, John Desmond, Frances and Anna Dunn, were buried between 1846 and 1849.
Records of removals to Catholic cemeteries include the names of Miss A. Cahill, who died on February 16, 1847; Mrs. Grannep, who died in 1846; Patrick McCarthy, who died in 1846, as well as Mary A. Kramer, who died during the same year and a few others. Most of the Catholic bodies were removed shortly after the opening of St. Joseph Cemetery, in 1850, and of St. John in 1858. Most records of removals refer to much later dates. A few Catholics' burials in this cemetery took place as late as 1900, obviously in lots still owned by pioneer Catholic families.
It is well to note that St. John Cemetery was so called because it was at first, the cemetery of people from the Cathedral Parish, St. John. In the same way, St. Joseph was at first, the cemetery of St. Joseph Parish on Woodland Avenue at East 21st Street. This parish was closed in 1986 and the church was destroyed by fire in 1993.
For more information on the History and Tradition please contact our Central Office at 216-641-7575
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