St Mary's Cemetery
No One Left Behind
Nestled on the corner of Burt St and Almond St
is a site that tells the the tale of
the rise,
fall,
is a site that tells the the tale of
the rise,
fall,
removal,
and
remembrance
of lives that lived here in Syracuse
when it was a fledgling city.
Today it is the site of dorms and apartments,
but originally it was selected as the site of consecrated ground
for the burial of congregants of the newly formed
St Mary's Church on the corner of Madison and Montgomery Sts.
Located just on the edge of a growing city with a growing Catholic population,
in 1844 the parish was formed moving and using
the former St Paul's Episcopal Church building.
Reverend Heas was the first pastor of the church.
(This stone was likely moved from the old cemetery.)
The cemetery wasn't far from where the parishioners worshiped:
A nice dignified, final journey from church to cemetery that
wouldn't take that long by carriage,
not too far off to visit,
it was just right...for a time.
Located just south and west from the famed Yates Castle,
it was a dignified place to lay your loved ones to rest.
But a new endeavor came to town:
Syracuse University.
The railroad passed nearby on its western side by 1860.
Railroads were not clean operations.
St Agnes, and not the original St Mary's, was
touted to the Catholic Community
in "Syracuse and Its Surroundings" in 1878.
St Mary's built a new building designed by Lawrence O'Connor.
(pic from 1899)
While the church was growing,
its cemetery had fallen out of favor.
The small lot was beginning to fill up.
The small lot was beginning to fill up.
(from Memorial History of Syracuse)
In 1880, the land for the "new" St Mary's was purchased and
some chose to be buried there,
on what was once farmland,
now consecrated ground.
Some moved their loved ones early on.
This little headstone remembering
"Little Eddy"
would have to have been moved here as this area
was farmland when he died.
By 1911, the renovations to St Mary's designed by Archimedes Russell
were completed, the mortgage was paid for,
and the newly minted
"Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Mary"
"Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Mary"
became the seat of the diocese.
By 1924, Old St Mary's hadn't had any new burials in 5 years.
And the new St Mary's was already an active
cemetery.
But as the University to the east continued to grow westward,
the closed, but not abandoned, cemetery
was not only sitting on prime real estate,
it was no longer a place of quiet refuge for
families.
First Ward, Franklin Street, and Rose Hill
plowed over the graves for safety and convenience:
but the people were (and are) still buried there!
The decision was made:
to properly care for those who were buried here,
to properly care for those who were buried here,
the cemetery had to be moved.
Permission was granted and work began in 1958 to move the cemetery.
It was estimated over 400o people were buried here.
Beauchamp's list is way too short to be complete.
Beauchamp's list is way too short to be complete.
The original records were lost in a fire.
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyononda/CEMETERY/STMARYRE.HTM
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyononda/CEMETERY/STMARYRE.HTM
The daunting task was started finding
EVERYONE
who was interred here.
Outside help was brought it to confirm
that all graves were accounted for.
The former congregants
were reinterred...
...as the worshipped...
TOGETHER.
No one was left behind.
No one would be left uncared for.
No one would built upon.
No one would be left uncared for.
No one would built upon.
No one would have volleyball played over their resting place.
Respected & Remembered
In the New St Mary's
Along the winding paths
off Kimber Rd is the older section of the new St Mary's.
Lives that are recorded here for the next generations include:
An Engineer
and
A Devoted Sister
In the new section you'll find
Beautiful memorial gardens
Well thought-out views
Old ways of burial
combined beautifully with newer ones,
outdoors
and enclosed.
In this newer part of the cemetery you will find
A soldier who did not make it home in WW2
A Beloved Doctor
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235684814/thomas-e-snyder
And one last stop here is the section near the top of the hill
"Born in Syracuse, attended St. John the Baptist grammar school, CBA and Niagara University. Ordained June 3, 1939, by Bishop Walter Foery. He served with the United States Navy as Chaplain in the Pacific Theater. Discharged 1946 with the rank of Lt. Commander."
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235684814/thomas-e-snyder
A master steam fitter
A Generous-hearted Figure Skater
A Real Estate Firm's Founder
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/239071843/leo-timothy-eagan
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/239071843/leo-timothy-eagan
watched over by St Kateri
The Resurrection Chapel Mausoleum has beautiful stained glass
And mosaics
Outside you'll find the resting place of a generous accountant
who gave of his time to his community
and inside,
the resting place of a young man who gave his life protecting our community
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44661022/craig-j-todeschini
And one last stop here is the section near the top of the hill
where those who have faithfully served their parishes are buried:
Priests and Nuns
Priests and Nuns
Like a who's who of beloved priests
(and many more not pictured)
(and many more not pictured)
and nuns
(and many more not pictured)
And one priest,
even more so than the others understood the concept of
"No one left behind"
Monsignor O'Brien served as an Navy Chaplain
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206848262/daniel-bernard-o'brien
"No one left behind"
Monsignor O'Brien served as an Navy Chaplain
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206848262/daniel-bernard-o'brien
"Born in Syracuse, attended St. John the Baptist grammar school, CBA and Niagara University. Ordained June 3, 1939, by Bishop Walter Foery. He served with the United States Navy as Chaplain in the Pacific Theater. Discharged 1946 with the rank of Lt. Commander."
~Find A Grave
And like the tale of this cemetery's history
he knew the importance
And like the tale of this cemetery's history
he knew the importance
of seeing life through the eyes of a deep faith:
That that the life of this sailor was important back at home.
Someone smiled when he was born
Someone loved him while he was growing up.
Someone needed to care and counsel him when he was off to war.
Someone needed to know that as he was dying,
that he was loved and cared for to the end.
Someone loved him while he was growing up.
Someone needed to care and counsel him when he was off to war.
Someone needed to know that as he was dying,
that he was loved and cared for to the end.
He was not alone.
And the interred of the old St Mary's,
like the men on the ship,
like the men on the ship,
could find a lasting peace after war
knowing this:
No one was left behind.
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