Page 319 - ROCHESTER
P. 319
10
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Holy Sepulchre unites diocesan Catholics
Numerous Catholic cemeteries served the needs of Rochester Catholics in the early to mid-1800s. Realizing the need to unite diocesan Catholics of all nationalities with a single burial ground, Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid, the rst bishop of Rochester, began studying cemeteries in Massachusetts, New York City and Detroit.
After much planning and research, he secured a 110-acre tract of farmland along both sides of today’s Lake Avenue, then known as Charlotte Boulevard. He chose a team of gardeners,
horticulturists and landscapers to establish a diocesan cemetery for all the Catholics of his ock. In 1871, Bishop McQuaid dedicated and solemnly consecrated Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in a ceremony that drew more than 10,000 people.
“The intention is to make the cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre such a one as the whole Catholic body of Rochester will be proud of as the last home of their deceased family and friends,” Bishop McQuaid remarked.
Chapter
In May 2013, members of Greece Boy Scout Troop 195
and dozens of volunteers placed American ags on the graves of more than 5,000 military veterans buried at Holy Sepulchre, as part of an annual effort by the scouts.
317
