Cemeteries connect all members of the Church, living and the dead

Laura Keener

Editor

Bishop John Iffert led prayer services, Oct. 18 and 19, at four diocesan cemeteries — St. John Cemetery and St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell; St. Stephen Cemetery, Ft. Thomas and the priest cemetery — at St. Pius Cemetery, Erlanger.

In his homily, Bishop Iffert emphasized the purpose and importance of burying the dead on consecrated ground.

“Unlike Hollywood, we don’t bury on consecrated ground to try to preserve our dead from vampires or anything like that … we bury on consecrated ground to call the Church together to pray for those who have gone before us,” Bishop Iffert said.

The Church, Bishop Iffert said, “includes those who have died, includes those who are saints in heaven and live in the presence of God, it includes those who have died and might be suffering in that stage that we call purgatory.

“It’s a very comforting belief to know that in our prayers and in our sacrifices we can assist them (those in purgatory) and we can urge them on,” Bishop Iffert said. “Perhaps through our prayers they might receive some comfort. Perhaps through our prayers they might receive some encouragement. Perhaps through our prayers they might receive even entry into the kingdom of God.

“So, it’s very important. These cemeteries connect us to all the members of the Church who have gone before us. They remind us of our duty to pray for them and to hold them with honor in our hearts.”