Cemetery tradition important to some

As All Saints Day rapidly approaches, many Teche Area residents have been busy cleaning and decorating the graves of family members and local cemeteries in preparation for Sunday.

Although the care and maintenance of graves take place throughout the year, the upcoming holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church is traditionally preceded by several weeks of increased activity. Following the tradition set by the parents, grandparents and others whose graves now garnish attention, surviving family members, particularly those of the Catholic faith, continue to keep the practice alive each autumn.

Early Wednesday afternoon beneath blue skies, sisters Sue David and Mary Evans Armentor were busy cleaning and placing fresh flowers on family graves at Memorial Park cemetery. While traffic could be seen steadily passing nearby on Admiral Doyle Drive, within the cemetery and surrounded by their memories, the pair worked placidly together, pausing now and again to sit and talk. At several tombs across the cemetery others also cleaned and tidied, getting ready for the coming weekend.

“Talking about the tradition, I’m afraid it’s not going to go on much longer,” said Sue David. “I just pray that our kids keep it up. Our mother passed away in 1972, and we’ve been coming out here ever since.”

Her sister Mary continued working on the graves. She lost a son in 1982, her husband in 1998 and her daughter in 2007, she said.

“We’ll be here for the blessing on Saturday,” she said, placing flowers on her son’s grave. “It’s heartbreaking, but it’s something you have to do. It keeps their memory alive.”

The Rev. Charles Langlois of St. Peter’s Catholic Church said although the church plays little part in the cleaning of the tombs by parishioners, preparations are being made for this weekend’s prayers for the dead and blessing of the cemeteries.

“We have the very important All Saints Mass conducted at the Holy Family Cemetery,” Langlois said. “It’s a commemoration of all souls and praying for the repose of the dead.”

Langlois said unfortunately a heavy schedule for the church forced the Mass to be moved ahead a day to Oct. 31, when it will be celebrated at 9 a.m. in the Holy Family Cemetery chapel.

“There will be the blessing of the cemetery afterward, where we walk around after Mass with holy water blessing all the tombs,” Langlois said.

After the blessing of the Holy Family Cemetery there will be a blessing at 10:45 a.m. in the Memorial Park cemetery on Admiral Doyle.

“Memorial also receives a blessing,” Langlois said. “Even though it’s not a church cemetery, it’s family-owned, but there are a number of Catholic families buried there.”

After celebration of the Mass on Sunday, St. Peter’s cemetery will be blessed at 1:15 p.m.

“It’s the old cemetery, original, and very historic for the parish,” Langlois said.