Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (Worth, Illinois)

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, located at 6001 West 111th Street in Worth, Illinois, USA, is a Catholic cemetery of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Cemetery grounds

Visitors are greeted by rolling manicured lawns, a large, dramatic entrance gate, winding roads, and abundant statuary. As is typical of the area, the cemetery is bordered on all sides by major roads, and is surrounded by commercial and residential zones. Its most prominent feature is the Mausoleum of the Archangels.

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery's main gate.


Just inside the main gate.

Burial practices

The headstones in the newer areas lie flat (technically known as "lawn level markers") to facilitate mowing and groundskeeping. It is possible to have upright markers for family plots, but this requires purchasing multiple gravesites and using a single, larger marker. The older areas have upright headstones that run the gamut from typical markers to fanciful and artistic. There are also mausoleums for above-ground interments.

Section of Family plots

History

The cemetery has quite a history. It was the first to open after WW I, the first to have lawn level grave markers, and the first to implement the policy that all future care was included in the cost of the grave. It is one of the few cemeteries to offer upright headstones, albeit with strict requirements.

Mausoleum of the Archangels

Dedicated by Cardinal Bernardin in 1993, the Mausoleum features life-size statues of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Each statue sits in the midst of a small park-like setting, with private seating areas and marble lined halls. This type of mausoleum is also known as a "garden crypt." Unlike the more time-honored mausoleum layout, the burial vaults are in the exterior walls, thus eliminating interior corridors. The Mausoleum can be seen from the intersection of 115th and Ridgeland Avenue. [http://add360.com/archangels/mausoleum_of_the_archangels.htm A virtual tour can be seen here.]

Mausoleum of the Archangels front entrance

Notable people buried here

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery is one of the preeminent cemeteries in the Chicago area. This is the final resting place of Richard J. Daley, mayor of Chicago for 21 years; of Dan Ryan, the long-time Cook County Board President; James O'Shea of Oak Lawn,IL civic icon; and of many other notable people.

Paranormal activity

This is also the resting place of [http://theunexplainedworld.com/miracle_child/index.htm Mary Alice Quinn] , a local resident who suddenly died at the young age of 14. She was known locally as a healer that could cure the sick. After her death in 1935, she was secretly buried in the family plot. The hope was that this secret burial would keep the curious away. The attempt failed, and eventually she was given her own headstone. Even today people undergo pilgrimages to her grave in the hopes of a miraculous healing. People report seeing a phantom hovering over her grave and smelling the scent of roses—even when none are present. She was also called "Chicago's Miracle Child." Her grave is in section 7.

External links

* [http://www.graveyards.com/IL/Cook/holysepulchre/ Holy Sepulchre Cemetery]
* [http://www.archdiocese-chgo.org/ Archdiocese of Chicago]