1876: HAMILTON'S ST. MARY'S CEMETERY

 

The year 2016 will mark the 145th anniversary of St. Mary's Cemetery where many of our local citizens are resting until called by the Lord to be with Him. St. Mary's is a beautiful cemetery and a leisurely stroll along the pathways will reveal MANY familiar family name of those who have gone before us. 

1875: St. Mary's Cemetery 124 years ago

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1875
DAILY TRUE AMERICAN
SURVEYING LAND FOR ST. MARY‘S CEMETERY

As we were riding in the suburbs of the city yesterday, we found Mr. J. H. Whittaker, Surveyor, drivng grade stakes on Olden avenue for contractors who are grading a new cemetery. The lot contains about twenty acres, is in a beautiful location, and when completed will be a fine burying ground. The soil is light and well adapted for the purpose. We understand that Rev. Anthony Smith is preparing this Cemetery for Saint Mary’s Parish of this city.

St. Mary's Cemetery: In the beginning

AUGUST 21, 1876:
CONSECRATION OF ST. MARY’S CEMETERY

The new cemetery recently laid out on Olden Avenue, under the auspices of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, in this city, was duly consecrated yesterday Tbe day being very fine, a large concourse of people visited tbe place to witness the ceremony. Father Smith, of St. Mary’s Church, was deputed by the Bishop to perform the services. A procession was formed at St. Mary’s Hall, on Bank street, as follows:
St. Mary’s Temperance Society.
St. Mary’s Temperance Cadets.
St. Mary’s Beneficial Society.
Young Men’s Catholic Association.
Sodalities of St. Mary’s Church.
A number of persons were in carriages. There was no music. The ground was consecrated with the usual services,

which were of a very interesting character.
This plot contains about twelve acres, and is beautifully located. It has already been very handsomely laid out.
MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 1876:

ST. MARY’S CEMETERY CONSECRATED
The consecration of the new cemetery attached to St. Mary’s parish took place yesterday, and was witnessed by hundreds of people. The cemetery is located on Olden avenue, upon which it has a frontage of 1,000 feet. It is 14 acres in extent, and when the grading is completed will he one of the most handsome burial places in this locality. It is traversed by several 18 foot avenues, that intersect at right angles Other avenues, varying from five to thirteen feet in width, are staked out at regular intervals. At the principal entrance are highly ornamented gates, and the whole tract is

enclosed by a substantial fence.
About 3 o’clock P. M. a procession, composed of St. Mary’s T. A. B. Cadets, the T. A. B. Society, St. Mary’s M. B. & B. and the Young Men’s Catholic and Literary Association, was formed on Bank Street, and marched to the scene of the consecration. The ceremonies were performed by the Rev. Father Smith, who preached an appropriate and interesting sermon, which was listened to with close attention. He stated that from the cradle to the grave the church was the guardian of her children, and had appropriate ceremonies for all the stages and events of life, and inasmuch as their bodies were, during life, the temples of the Holy Spirit, it was appropriate that when life had fled, having died in the faith, the remains of the faithful should rest in holy ground. One of the saddest duties he had to perform, was the denial of Christian burial to those, who, by their own acts, had cut themselves off from the church. He hoped that his bearers would remember that all men must die, and would shape their lives so that when the awful change did come they would be worthy, not only to rest in the consecrated ground, but that they would obtain rest in that House, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The opening of St. Mary’s cemetery will prove a great convenience to the people of that parish, and save them a vast amount of annoyance and trouble, as hitherto interments had been

made at St. John’s Cemetery, on Lalor Street.