Memorial Day Mass
We invite you to join us on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2012 for mass.
Holy Rood Cemetery, Westbury - 11:00 AM
Holy Rood Mausoleum - Chapel Mass
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Coram - 11:00 AM
Our Lady of the Rosary Mausoleum - Chapel Mass
Queen of All Saints Cemetery, Central Islip - 12:00 NOON
Cemetery Grounds - Field Mass
REMEMBER OUR DEAD
A Catholic Cemetery is more than a place for the burial of the dead. It represents the continuation, even in death, of the harmony and spiritual alliance that makes all Catholics members of one great family, thereby constituting it actually a family ground or plot.
Consequently, the Church has become through the ages the zealous guardian of burial practices that have developed from its very essence.
There is no more consoling doctrine in the Church than that which teaches us we are all members of the Mystical Body of Christ for time and eternity. The Saints in heaven are our friends and our intercessors. Nor can we forget the souls in purgatory; they are members of the same Church, and we can assist them by our prayers and good works.
The month of May is set aside for remembering our dead. The Church, however, insists that we do not forget our dead, even if we were so inclined. Christians were early recognized from the fact that they love one another. This charity passes beyond the grave. Those that we loved in life, we continue to love in death.
Because our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, the Church guards them palously, even as we await the resurrection. Catholic Cemeteries are sacred places, truly holy cities of the dead and our Church stands guard over our final resting-places. At the cemetery, we surround ourselves with a world of saints depicting the goodness of God and the spiritual significance of life.
The Church intends that we should visit the graves of our beloved dead. Such visits keep them and their needs in mind. Their needs are prayers that eternal light may shine upon them.
Let us learn then that the energy of our faith enables us to live constantly with the memories of our loved ones that we will always have to cherish.
