A Fitting Tribute to the Memory of our Ancestors and Loved Ones
by Ben LeBleu

Each of us, has at one point in time, lost someone very dear to us. It is with the certain hope and faith in the resurrection of our mortal bodies that we lovingly place our loved ones to rest in the hallowed grounds of our cemeteries. These grounds, trodden by many over the centuries, are the place in which we offer a fitting and dignified tribute to those whom we have lost. We treat this sacred space with much respect and solemnity.

As the coolness of the fall begins to approach, these sacred grounds become filled with the sights and sounds of life. Family members paint the tombs of their loved ones and carefully arrange flowers to adorn the graves in anticipation of the annual cemetery visitation. However, the upkeep of St. Peter’s Cemetery is a year-round endeavor. While many families traditionally keep up their graves and burial spaces, the overall upkeep of St. Peter’s Cemetery lawn is one that our parish undertakes.

It is through the generosity and ongoing financial support of our parishioners as well as those who have adopted St. Peter Cemetery that we are able to upkeep this sacred space. Our annual expenses average $18,360.00; of this approximately $12,000 is spent on maintaining the grounds of the cemetery, $6,000 on our parish liability insurance for the cemetery, and $360 on utilities. This amount includes our monthly expense for lawn cutting as well as the utilities and other improvements made to the cemetery. We have been fortunate in the past years that our cemetery dues, special contributions, and other donations have help to offset these expenses. However, with each passing year we collect slightly less than the previous year.

Our cemetery endowment fund is the major savings enterprise for the cemetery. This endowment is the instrument that will be used to upkeep the cemetery in perpetuity. Each November, we take a special collection for the cemetery endowment; we ask that you please consider donating to this collection.

Our cemetery, St. Peter Cemetery, is a beautiful testimony of our belief in the resurrection from the dead and a fitting tribute to the memory of our ancestors and loved ones. Together we can keep St. Peter Cemetery beautiful.