Catholic Cemeteries Office of the Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated its annual field Masses May 27 to commemorate Memorial Day.
Nearly 800 people attended the liturgy at Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery, Flushing, one of six locations to host a Mass. The others included St. John’s, Middle Village; St. Charles/ Resurrection, Farmingdale, L.I.; Holy Cross, East Flatbush; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Lawrence, L.I.; and Most Holy Trinity, Bushwick.
“I always attend this Mass,” said Kathleen Donegan of St. Robert Bellarmine parish, Bayside. “It’s in the memory of the dead.”
These Masses were part of a larger national Memorial Day celebration among thousands of Catholic cemeteries titled “Serving God and Country: A Memorial Day Salute to Our Heroes.” The program was developed by the Catholic Cemetery Conference, the oldest and largest Catholic cemetery association.
Before the Mass, members of the U.S. Navy Color Guard presented a red, white and blue flower wreath during a moment of silence as a tribute to the men and women who have died in service to their country.
Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros celebrated the Mass at Mount St. Mary’s. In his opening remarks, he noted the symbols of the day: a crucifix on the altar signifying the presence of God and the wreath reminding the congregation of the sacrifice made by the fallen heroes.
“Freedom is our great inheritance fought at a great price,” Bishop Cisneros said. “The price of freedom is costly. It often demands the ultimate sacrifice.”
Bishop Cisneros spoke of the diversity of the Brooklyn Diocese and how everyone is seeking freedom. Born in Cuba, he said the word “freedom” is one of the most popular words in the English language and that freedom of religion is the “most cherished freedom.”
“This freedom can only be obtained when we sacrifice ourselves and respond to God’s call to lay down our lives for one another,” he said.
“I was very impressed with his (Bishop Cisneros) homily,” said Julia Quinn from St. Mel’s parish, Flushing, who had relatives who fought in World War II and the Korean War. “I was very impressed that he mentioned all the different nationalities.”
After Mass, Bishop Cisneros recognized the veterans in attendance. The veterans stood to a rousing and well-deserved round of applause.
“These field Masses are very important to a lot of people,” said Charles Randel, Catholic Cemeteries’ representative and sales counselor at Mount St. Mary’s. “This day is set aside for remembering all those who fought for our country for freedom around the world.”