T he final expression of our faith as Catholics is the blessed and sacred burial in a Catholic Cemetery. Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of Buffalo

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1 Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of Buffalo MOUNT OLIVET Kenmore HOLY CROSS Lackawanna HOLY SEPULCHRE Cheektowaga GATE of HEAVEN Lewiston QUEEN of HEAVEN Lockport ASSUMPTION Grand Island Now representing ST. ADALBERT Lancaster T he final expression of our faith as Catholics is the blessed and sacred burial in a Catholic Cemetery

2 24 Western New York Catholic June 2014 Father Timothy Lindenfelser, JCL In the center of the business district of St. Augustine, Fla., across the street from Home Depot and next door to Burger King, people are surprised to find San Lorenzo Catholic Cemetery. Just yards from the busiest intersection in the county is a place beckoning people to pause for a few minutes of peaceful recollection, laughter, and for those who cannot slow down, even exercise. For places that are often referred to as cities of the dead, cemeteries are very active places. Of course there are the activities you expect to find such as interments, installation of monuments and grounds keeping, but that is only the beginning. People come from all over St. Augustine to visit Baby Girl, the cemetery cat who makes Garfield look like a thin supermodel. I have never seen an animal receive so much attention and her weight proves it. Fortunately for our bird lovers, Baby Girl is not as fast as she used to be. With a stream running through the cemetery and lots of old trees, you never know what kind of birds will be seen, especially during the spring and fall as they migrate. It seems that most bird lovers are also photographers. Day after day people are photographing the birds, monuments, gardens and other features. What a nice surprise when I enter an art gallery and notice a photograph of a blue bird perched on a particularly beautiful monument I know to be at San Lorenzo. If it is not the bird lovers, then it is the genealogists who have their cameras out. Wanting to reconnect with their families in order to understand themselves and their own Cemeteries are for the living Lackawanna Firefighter s 5K Run for Burn Victims travels through Holy Cross Cemetery. place in the universe, these individuals want to document and question everything. Why was this marker chosen? What does this symbol mean? Who is this person who is in the same grave as great-grandma? For some people, the cemetery is one big mystery that needs unraveling. As the genealogists record every piece of information they can find, the local art students are hard at work. Sketching, painting and photographing early in the morning while the dew is still on the grass or as an evening thunderstorm approaches, these individuals are taken by the beauty of God s creation and the circle of life. Day after day some of the Sisters of St. Joseph come for a walk with their fellow sisters and former pastors. They stroll the grounds visiting their many friends who are with the Lord. Occasionally they stop and pray with families who are visiting their recently, or not so recently, departed. Some families have been coming daily for many years to be with their families. The cemetery staff has become a part of their family. At some point during the afternoon, the Catholic high school cross-country team passes through as part of their training while trying to avoid people out for a stroll or the occasional bicyclist taking a short cut through the grounds. All of these various people and activities each day are in addition to those coming to purchase rights of burial, arrange interments and say goodbye to their loved ones. Far from being a city of the dead, our cemeteries are places where the family of God gathers in the belief that death is not the end, but a transitory state to the glory of the resurrection. The great company of saints, both living and dead, unites each day in our cemeteries to give glory to God for His marvelous deeds and to celebrate our special place in His creation. Father Lindenfelser is the director of cemeteries for the Diocese of St. Augustine, Fla., and pastor of St. Anastasia Church.

3 June 2014 Western New York Catholic 25 News and Notes By Chip Mussen Annual Spring Savings Event Catholic Cemeteries is continuing its annual Spring Savings Event. All six of our Catholic Cemeteries, as well as our partner St. Adalbert Cemetery in Lancaster, will be offering savings up to $500 off your burial space now through June 30. Special discounts will be offered on accessory items such as memorials, vases and crypt front emblems. For those families that have already purchased, a referral program is available whereby you can receive a thank you gift for each family member who makes a selection in any of our cemeteries. Recognizing Veterans Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Buffalo proudly supports the Thank A Vet program, sponsored by Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs and Niagara County Clerk Wayne Jagow. Your Thank A Vet card or honorable discharge papers entitle you to receive a 20 percent discount on your cemetery purchase from Catholic Cemeteries of Buffalo. We thank you for your service to our country. This complimentary program is a way to recognize the veterans in our community for their service and sacrifice. It is available to any honorably discharged Erie or Niagara County veteran. To register for all the benefits, including the many other discounts that are available from area businesses and organizations, visit these web sites: Erie County www2.erie.gov/clerk/index.php?q=quotthank-vet-quot-discountprogram Niagara County ThankaVetProgram.aspx St. Barbara Bell feature planned at Holy Cross When a funeral procession enters Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna, it will soon be greeted by the tolling of a bell from St. Barbara Church, Lackawanna, which was closed in This bell holds special significance, especially to the Polish community in Lackawanna. The St. Barbara Bell, forged by the Meneely Bell Company of Troy, was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Charles H. Colton in The bell was removed from the church tower in 2011, shortly before demolition started on the Patrick McPartland/Staff Photographer Cecelia Chmiel (with hat) and her daughter Marian Klubrck gaze at the St. Barbara Church bell that will be on display at Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawanna. structurally-compromised church and bell tower. The bell was taken to Holy Cross Cemetery where it has been in safe storage. A unique setting is being designed for the bell that will include some of the beautiful stained glass windows from St. Barbara Church as its centerpiece. Burial spaces will soon be available in the new section featuring the St. Barbara Bell and there is already great interest from many of the former parishioners. The pathway around the bell will be bordered by engraveable paving stones. These stones can be engraved with a name, message, prayer or dedication. The St. Barbara Memory Garden at Holy Cross Cemetery will complement the popular Ascension Bell Garden at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kenmore. Mount Olivet Cemetery rededicated the Ascension Bell feature on the 100th anniversary of the original bell dedication in October For more information about the St. Barbara Bell Garden or the Ascension Bell Garden, the pavers or the rededication, call See News and Notes page 30 We specialize in church restoration! Historic Masonry Restoration Tuckpointing of brick, block terra cotta and stone masonry Masonry Reconstruction Concrete Repair-structural architectural Residential and Commercial Mason Building Cleaning Church Restoration Waterproofing applications include: Below Grade-liquid applied and sheet applications. Plaza deck-liquid applied traffic topping systems. Building Façade-clear water repellants, elastomeric coating, pigmented sealers. Mason Contractor Caulking and Sealants. Polyurethanes and Polysulfides. Poly-ureas. Epoxys. Pressure Injection of: Urethane Grouts. Epoxy Resin. Employees are certified with OSHA, the historic U.S. Heritage as well as Watson Bowman Expansion Joint Systems.

4 26 Western New York Catholic June 2014 Bishop Malone, Bishop Grosz to dedicate new mausoleums Two major Catholic Cemeteries of Buffalo construction projects are nearing completion. Bishop Richard J. Malone will celebrate Mass and dedicate St. Anthony Chapel Mausoleum at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheektowaga on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. One week later, Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m., Bishop Edward M. Grosz will preside over the Mass and dedication of St. John Kanty Garden Mausoleum at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Lancaster. These new mausoleums are a beautiful witness to the faith of our families, offering a simple, dignified alternative to in-ground burial, said Carmen A. Colao, diocesan director of Catholic Cemeteries of Buffalo. St. Anthony Chapel Mausoleum will complete the third phase of the mausoleum complex at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. It will have Holy Sepulchre and St. Adalbert cemeteries Patrick McPartland/Staff Photographer Construction continues on St. Anthony Chapel Mausoleum at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheektowaga. inside and outside spaces 385 interior crypt spaces and 304 niche spaces for the placement of cremated remains, as well as a chapel. It is the third mausoleum at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In 1992, St. Francis of Assisi Chapel Mausoleum was constructed. Our Lady of the Rosary Mausoleum opened in The St. John Kanty Garden Mausoleum features all outside crypts and niches, complementing the current mausoleums at St. Adalbert s. It will also have more niche spaces than previous mausoleums at St. Adalbert s, accommodating the increasing demand for the proper interment of cremated remains. Catholic Cemeteries of Buffalo began managing St. Adalbert s cemeteries for St. John Kanty Parish in May (see St. Adalbert s page 33). For more information call

5 June 2014 Western New York Catholic 27 Catholic Cemeteries offers comprehensive grief support program By Nancy Weil Recently widowed, she attended our grief support group regularly. Finding comfort in the shared experiences, she looked forward to attending the program. Twice a month on a Tuesday she came to share, to cry, to laugh and to find hope amongst the heartache. When a month came with a fifth Tuesday, she wondered how she would handle not being with the group for three weeks. Delighted when she was informed that on a fifth Tuesday a potluck dinner is held, she quickly signed up. At the dinner, she called me over and said to me words I will never forget. Nancy, you don t know how much it means to me not to have to eat one more dinner home alone. Community this is what we have created at the Catholic Cemeteries. It is a community of caring, a community of support, a community of hope. Each person who attends has lost a loved one, but each person approaches their grief differently. No two people grieve in the same way, not within the group and not within their own family. While there are some aspects of the bereavement process that are similar among those who mourn, Drum Circle led by Carolyn Zimmermann of Drum4Health. each relationship is unique and each person who mourns has their own way to handle their grief. It is because of this that we have created a grief support program that is the most comprehensive of any cemetery or funeral home in this country. It is not a one-size-fits-all grief support program, but one that offers many different programs to fit the needs of anyone who wants to attend and find support throughout their journey of grief. Men, M&T Bank. Understanding what s important. women, young and old, all can find therapists and others who have all come solace through our offerings. to teach participants how to make it Attendees are often asked by their through grief in a healthy way. We have friends why they continue to come to drummed, drawn and danced during programs and they respond that they are these well-attended events, and attendees now part of a new family, a family that is always leave feeling enriched and formed out of a shared experience. They enthused about putting these practices to also find that they continue to heal as they work. give back to the newly bereaved. While Men s Group: Our widowers gather this is true, they also come because there every month to eat lunch, play cards and are many times that they actually find they share a common bond. New friendships enjoy themselves at one of our programs. are formed and old ones reignited. From traditional grief support to outings For those who do not feel comfortable to local comedy clubs, we offer many attending a traditional support group, this options to the community. Here are some is a place where they can come and share of the events that make up our unique an afternoon of laughter knowing that grief support program. they can share their feelings of loneliness Grief support groups: This is a place and loss and be understood. where you have time to share and offer Fifth Tuesday Potluck Dinner: Food support to one another, as well as learn is a big theme in our programs. From the tools to help cope with the overwhelming cookies over which attendees share conversations pain of grief. There is no charge for after programs to our highly the program and no requirement that anticipated potluck dinners, food brings your loved one be buried in one of our people together. Why the fifth Tuesday? cemeteries. Our motto is If your heart Our group meets the first and third Tuesday hurts, come to us for help. each month. When a five-tuesday Lecture Series: Six times a year we month arrives, our group doesn t want to hold special events featuring a speaker wait three weeks to get together. So, they who has expertise in the field of grief. bring a drink or dessert, pay a small fee to Experts have included dieticians, art cover the cost of the dinner and a local therapists, personal fitness trainers, music See Grief support page 31 Earth Steward Tree Care Servicing the Catholic Cemeteries for over 14 years At M&T Bank, we understand the importance of building longterm relationships with people, businesses and organizations in all the communities we serve. It s what we ve been doing for more than 155 years. Because we know when our community succeeds, we all succeed. Tree & Shrub Fertilization Insect & Disease Control WNY s Leader in Emerald Ash Borer Control Commercial & Residential Services John Ruch - Arborist (716) H mtb.com 2013 M&T Bank. Member FDIC.

6 Catholic C 28 Western New York Catholic June 2014 Put Your F Stained glass at Resurrection Chapel Mausoleum, Mount Olivet Cemetery. Statue of Venerable Nelson Baker is a welcoming sight at entrance o Holy Cross Cemetery staff install three crosses for the Easter season at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hope After Heartache Grief Support Grou

7 June 2014 Western New York Catholic 29 emeteries aith In Us Trumpeting angels honor the Blessed Mother in the newest feature at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. f Holy Cross Cemetery. p tours Our Lady of Victory Basilica. Honor Guard stands by the St. Michael the Archangel Veteran Garden during the Memorial Day tribute at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

8 30 Western New York Catholic June 2014 News and Notes From page 25 Open House scheduled at St. Adalbert Cemetery There will be an Open House on Saturday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Lancaster, in conjunction with the Mass and dedication of St. John Kanty Garden Mausoleum. Family Service Counselors will be available to discuss your options. Special pricing will be available only during the Open House. Refreshments will be provided. Connect with us: bonadio.com GREVER AND WARD CEMETERY PLANNERS 75 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE TO CEMETERIES COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLANNING CONSTRUCTION PLANS & SPECS SECTION LAYOUT PLANNING CREMATION GARDEN PLANS PLANTING PLANS & SPECS LOT LAYOUT & SALES MAPS SPACE RECOVERY PROGRAMS SITE EVALUATIONS & FEASIBILITY STUDIES RESPONSIVE SERVICES, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS G &WG GREVER & WARD INC. Cemetery Planners 3802 N. BUFFALO ST. ORCHARD PARK, NY info@greverandward.com Phone Fa x Toll Free Celebrating memories There are many creative ways to remember our mothers and fathers who have gone before us and for the past several years we have continued a unique idea that started at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kenmore. A few weeks before Mother s Day, we mounted a mostly blank 4-foot by 8-foot banner near the entrance to the cemetery. With the simple words Happy Mother s Day along with a short poem and three felt tip pens, we encouraged all cemetery visitors to put their thoughts and memories in writing. We weren t sure what to expect, but we were gratified by the overwhelming response it received. The special Mother s Day messages that were left to mothers and grandmothers were heartwarming and sometimes a little heartbreaking. With children writing along the bottom and others filling in every nook and cranny available, the card was a huge success in healing and sharing. Since our Mother s Day card created such a rewarding response, we felt obligated to put up a Father s Day card. We have also added a Memorial Day card, each of which greeted with a positive response. Because of all the encouraging remarks our cemetery staff has received about the cards, they have been made available at all of our cemeteries, including St. Adalbert Cemetery, Lancaster. Please join us in making these well-received cards an enduring tradition at your Catholic Cemeteries. All Saints Cremation Garden Church teachings insist that cremated human remains should be treated with respect. This includes a worthy container to hold the cremated remains as well as their placement. Mount Olivet Cemetery s new All Saints Cremation and Estate Garden in the St. Andrew Hill area are available to help you fulfill these obligations. The central columbarium with an inspirational statue of St. Peter is the cornerstone of this new section. It has 320 niche spaces for the placement of cremated remains. Surrounding the new columbarium are the pre-poured foundations for cremation plots. These cremation plots will allow various options for upright memorialization. The garden will also offer unique alternatives, including several additional columbaria and niche walls that will be added in several phases. The perimeter of the garden will consist of Family Estate Lots for standard burial and private family mausoleums. These options are meant to offer attractive pricing for families. Mount Olivet Cemetery is breathing new life and light into the beautiful Ascension Chapel which can be visited near the Delaware Avenue entrance to the cemetery. Originally constructed in 1908, the Ascension Chapel has hosted numerous funeral ceremonies as well as being a place of quiet contemplation over the last 106 years. The chapel has undergone some renovations and the addition of 202 glass front niches for the placement of cremated remains. Each niche has special LED lighting creating a heavenly glow. Bringing life and light back to Ascension Chapel Backlit glass front niches adorn the Ascension Chapel at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

9 June 2014 Western New York Catholic 31 From page 27 restaurant caters the food. This is truly a meal that provides nourishment for both the body and the soul. Inspired WNY Day Trips: Sunday afternoons can be the most difficult time of the week when you are grieving. Traditionally a day for families to gather, many no longer have family in town and they go home to an empty house with nothing but their memories to keep them company. That is why we go on monthly outings. We have visited basilicas, taken boat rides, toured architectural treasures and attended theater productions. Every event ends with a dinner at an area restaurant. All have a wonderful time together that they talk about long after the day is done. Drum Circles: All ages can come together and participate in a drum circle. With so many grief support programs geared toward a particular age group, families are often segregated in their support groups. I have had 2-year-olds and 87-year-olds participate in the same circle. A trained facilitator comes with her drums and we play our feelings into a better place. Tears flow, laughter grows and all leave feeling better. Grief support Heavenly Hearts Choir: Music has the power to heal and by singing together we heal from the pain of grief. Led by a widowed musician, we select songs that are from a wide array of genres. From Silent Night to Lydia, the Tattooed Lady, we sing our pain away. Rehearsals are filled with laughter as we stumble over lyrics, learn unfamiliar harmonies and raise our voices in memory of those we love. Recitals are attended by friends and family and followed by a dessert buffet. Our ministry is one of outreach to all who need support. In the book of Matthew is a passage that has guided our program since its inception. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. If you or anyone you know is in need of grief support, please give me a call. We welcome new people into our programs and provide everyone with the information, the camaraderie and, most of all, the hope they need at this difficult time in their lives. For more information or to request a grief support packet that contains details on all WNY area grief support programs, call Nancy Weil, director of Grief Support at Diocese of Buffalo members & their family enjoy personal concierge vehicle shopping. or CALL (716) Access 20 new brands and over 1,250 used vehicles " Scheduled consultation appointments " Select pricing on new and used vehicles, protection plans, parts, service, & more Data Driven Marketing Direct Mail Commercial Print Publications ACHIEVEMORE Compu-Mail with DIRECT Marketing compu-mail.com Steve s Heating & A/C Bucholtz Heating STEVE FULLER, OWNER Phone: Fax: Cell: Military Road Niagara Falls, NY steveshvac11@aol.com Dave Lennox PREMIER DEALER Social Media Public Relations Crisis Communications Grassroots Advocacy Cathedral Place 298 Main St. Buffalo, NY Communications counsel to Diocese of Buffalo Catholic Cemeteries of Buffalo Christ the King Seminary

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11 June 2014 Western New York Catholic 33 Catholic Cemeteries managing St. Adalbert s 2 cemeteries The expertise of Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Buffalo is at work at two more locations, with the management of St. Adalbert s two cemeteries now in its 11th month. St. Adalbert Parish in Buffalo established two cemeteries, one on Dale Road in Cheektowaga, the other on Broadway in Lancaster. The operating agreement is between Catholic Cemeteries and St. John Kanty Parish, which merged with St. Adalbert Parish, and in doing so, became responsible for the operation and maintenance of the two cemeteries. The arrangement is working very well, said Carmen A. Colao, diocesan director of Catholic Cemeteries. We are working closely with St. Adalbert Cemetery personnel to help them meet their day-to-day operational needs, caring for this sacred space which means so much to generations of Polish-American Catholics and their families. The arrangement came about when Father Ronald Bagienski, then pastor of St. John Kanty, approached Colao to talk about a possible management role for Catholic Cemeteries following the merger of St. Adalbert and St. John Kanty parishes. This is a unique opportunity for us to work to preserve and maintain a historic cemetery, while at the same time assisting the parish with the maintenance and development of the new cemetery, Colao said. St. Adalbert s Old Cemetery on Dale Road is nearly 10 acres and almost completely full. Land for the cemetery was purchased in 1890, and at the time, burials cost about $4. The new cemetery on Broadway is much larger at 73.5 Patrick McPartland/Staff Photographer Mike Sfanski (right), manager at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Lancaster, looks over a work order with construction worker Ben Kitanik at the site of what will be the new St. John Kanty Garden Mausoleum. acres, with a good deal of space for future growth. For more information call TRANSIT REDI-MIX SAVE $ $ $ $ WE MIX WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT AND WHERE YOU NEED IT 9775 COUNTY ROAD CLARENCE CENTER, NY RJM Roofing Inc. d/b/a Commercial Industrial Residential MICHAEL A. MARINUCCI President 2139 Lockport Road Niagara Falls, New York Phone: (716) Fax: (716) Cell: (716) blueoxroof@aol.com Restoring, Renewing & Building the Diocese of Buffalo s Timeless Landmarks 110 Pearl Street 8th floor Buffalo, NY Premier Landscape Inc Genesee Street Alden, NY John D. Mallia Jr. Residential & Commercial Landscaping Patios, Walls & Walkways Outdoor Kitchens Fireplaces & Brick Ovens Perennial Gardens & Specimen Trees Commercial/Industrial Parking Areas Tennis Courts - Designed and Constructed Pavement Sealing Free Estimates Cayuga Rd., Cheektowaga Residential/Commercial Custom Cabinets Counters Architectural Millwork Pat Viola Phone: (716) Fax: (716) SINCE Hyde Park Boulevard, Niagara Falls, NY Personalized & custom memorial solutions From planning and design through delivery, sitework and project management, only one company does it all. To learn about our full product offering visit coldspringusa.com or contact your sales representative by calling

12 34 Western New York Catholic June 2014 Holy Sepulchre Cemetery St. Anthony Chapel Mausoleum Nearing Completion Reserve Now and Save with Pre-Construction Prices Prices to Increase July 1 st This beautiful structure will offer selections with serenity and the natural beauty of garden arrangements. The mausoleum provides a simple, dignified and affordable alternative to inground burial. Let us answer your questions Many crypts are priced less than or comparable to the total cost of an average ground burial. Mausoleum crypt prices vary according to location, level and crypt arrangement with only a small down payment required. Selections may be paid for over a period of time with NO INTEREST or FINANCE CHARGES. Call Today Visit our website at Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of Buffalo Preserving our Beliefs & Traditions 4000 ELMWOOD AVENUE BUFFALO, NEW YORK Connect with us