Catholic Cemeter ies Who is Responsible for Maintaining Them? By Randy G. Tiller
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here are approximately 15 Catholic Cemeteries spread across the 16 civil parishes that comprise the Diocese of Shreveport. Presently all except one is maintained by a parish; some parishes even have multiple cemeteries to maintain. The one exception to this rule is St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Shreveport, LA located on Texas Avenue in West Shreveport. This cemetery was established in 1882 on property purchased by the second pastor of Holy Trinity Parish. Fr. Joseph Gentille purchased 10 ½ acres of land for a Catholic Cemetery using his own savings for $210.00. He designated the name of the cemetery; St. Joseph in honor of his patron saint. Fr. Gentille was the pastor that succeeded Fr. John Pierre the founding pastor. Ten years after the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1873 in Shreveport, Fr. Gentille secured permits from the Board of Health to transfer the remains of Fathers Pierre, LeVezouet and Queremais, who had perished in the epidemic, to St. Joseph Cemetery. The two sacred places in the Catholic faith are those which are assigned to divine worship or to the burial of the faithful by the dedication or blessing which the liturgical books prescribed for this purpose. (Canon 1205) Based on the teachings of Jesus works of mercy are recognized as “charitable actions by which we help our 16 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION
neighbors.” (USCCA). They respond to the basic needs of humanity. The Church recognizes seven corporal works of mercy; the seventh is to bury the dead. These practices are evidence of our Christian ethics and acts of penance and charity. Through the corporal works of mercy we can gain the graces which lead to holiness (USCCB). We often hear ourselves or others say, "May God have mercy on me!" or “May God have mercy on someone else!” This is a cry for leniency, a plea to mitigate punishment, a request to be kind and accepting. Burying the dead is a work of mercy, it is a plea that God smile on that person, forgive them their sins and give them eternal peace and salvation. Through participating in the Christian Burial Rites of the Church we are offering our support to others to be sure no one walks alone. It allows us to grieve and through the prayers and actions show our respect for the life of loved ones and offer solace and consolation to their families and friends. That does not stop with the final prayer and the lowering of the casket into the grave. Our responsibility to care and maintain that sacred ground, to continue to delight in the life of the individual, to continue to show our love and our support to the surviving family members, to show mercy continues long after the funeral is over.
