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The Catholic Cemeteries Association prides itself on its Catholic heritage, traditions and long history in the western Pennsylvania region.
We can trace the beginnings of what is now The Catholic Cemeteries Association to the earliest decades in the history of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Among the cemeteries established during that time were those that eventually became the founding members of The Catholic Cemeteries Association, including St. Mary Cemetery, Lawrenceville; St. Joseph and St. Thomas Cemeteries, Braddock; Calvary Cemetery, Hazelwood; and St. Philomena Cemetery, Ross Township.
Inside these pages you will find information regarding the history of The Catholic Cemeteries Association, the Catholic principles we are found upon, an introduction to the services we offer Catholic families, and guidelines regulating the operation of our cemeteries for the benefit of all.
OUR HERITAGE
Since the earliest days of the Church, the community of believers has buried the bodies of the faithful departed with reverence. The catacombs not only held the bodies of the dead, but served as gathering places where the living members of the community celebrated their faith in the risen Lord.
Down through the centuries, the Church has honored the burial of the dead as a Corporal Work of Mercy. Wherever a Christian community formed, sacred ground was set aside where the remains of the dead would await the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. These resting places gave public witness to the Communion of Saints, which joins the faithful on earth with all “those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.”
(Eucharistic Prayer No. 1)
Today, our Catholic cemeteries are these sacred burial grounds. They differ from secular cemeteries because they are places where the Church gives public witness to her beliefs and teachings surrounding death and resurrection. There the faithful departed rest among others who shared their faith in this life. There the living members of the Catholic community gather to pray, to honor the lives of the dead, and to renew our own belief in “the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”
The Diocese of Pittsburgh has carried out this Corporal Work of Mercy since its inception in 1843. As communities gathered and parishes formed, church cemeteries were established. As the diocese grew, the need for additional cemeteries became apparent. Gradually, large tracts of land were purchased to create Catholic cemeteries that were designed to serve several parishes or a particular geographic region.
The development and management of Catholic cemeteries throughout the diocese took on several forms. The parish cemeteries are owned and operated by the parish to which they are attached. Others began as parish cemeteries but, at the request of the diocesan bishop, later came under the auspices of the The Catholic Cemeteries Association and were designated as “diocesan cemeteries.” Still others were established specifically as diocesan cemeteries.
This brief history will cover the origins and operations of what are now the 16 diocesan cemeteries owned and operated by The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The Association was established in 1952 and inherited a rich tradition of Catholic burial and exemplary faithfulness to the Corporal Work of Mercy associated with it. This history will highlight some important facts about that heritage and the ways in which The Catholic Cemeteries Association proudly carries it forth into the Church’s twenty-first century..
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