St. Joseph Cemetery Updates by Kate Rhae

St. Joseph Cemetery Updates C atholic cemeteries reflect an affirmation of many beliefs held sacred by the catholic faithful. Among those beliefs are the sanctity of all human life, respect for the bodies of the deceased, and dignity of the faithful departed interred within the sacred ground of a Catholic cemetery. For all of their functionality and importance, cemeteries tend to be forgotten about over the generations for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, within that trend of neglect, there are always those who wish to keep older, historically important cemeteries alive and thriving.

In the early years of the 20th century, just a short time after St. Joseph Cemetery was established, cemeteries were shifting from being purposefully constructed away from cities and out of the everyday life of citizens, to being mindfully curated spaces where people could congregate to pay their respects in many different ways. Cemetery picnics were popular in the early 20th century, allowing for fellowship for families with deceased loved ones. Catholic cemeteries in particular began to be established with the intent of providing ministry of consolation to mourners, rather than simply a place to bury the dead.

With the rise of genealogy as a hobby over the last decade, hearts and minds are beginning to return to discovering the past. Family members hoping to delve into their personal lineage, historians studying pioneers of the past, and hobbyists interested in the social and cultural chronicles of their city all find themselves looking to cemeteries for answers.

Looking to the future of St. Joseph Cemetery, teeming with the remnants of rich personal histories of local families, many of which serve as a testament to the growth of our city, it is easy to understand how preservation and documentation are paramount to understanding not only the past, but the future as well.

Thanks to the generosity of faithful Catholics in our diocese, renovations to the martyred yellow fever priests’ memorial are going well. The steps are completed, the crypts are being restructured, and we will be ordering the granite replacement tops soon. For more information on how you can donate to this project and future projects, please contact the Catholic Center. By Kate Rhea

August, 2019 Shreveport, Louisiana

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT NON-DISCRIMINATORY SCHOOL POLICY

The Diocese of Shreveport School system re-affirms its non-discriminatory policy on the basis of race, sex, color, national, and ethnic origin in its educational programs, activities, and employment policies in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, and Sections 4.03 (a) and 4.03 (c) Revenue Procedure 75-50.

All students, faculty members and staff, without exception, are admitted to all rights, privileges, and activities generally accorded or made available at the schools which do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national, and ethnic origin in the administration of its employment policies, admission policies, scholarship, and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administrated programs.

St. John Berchmans, Shreveport St. Joseph School, Shreveport Loyola College Preparatory, Shreveport Jesus the Good Shepherd, Monroe Our Lady of Fatima, Monroe St. Frederick High, Monroe