RE: Flags removed from cemeteryHi,
Your story was sent out on an internet mailing list from the
Rootsweb.com genealogy
internet site. One of the lists is called CEMETERY-L(a)rootsweb.com. It is an avenue for
exchange of information relative to cemeteries and their conditions, questions and
concerns and other issues that arise when people are doing their family histories.
Often people go to see the graves of their long-ago ancestors and find the cemeteries in
horrendous condition or NOT THERE AT ALL ANYMORE! It can be quite an eye opener. All in
all, I think California is probably one of the worst offenders in that respect.
However, Indiana has been experiencing a large number of "cemetery removals" due
to encroachment by progress and development. There are a lot of people who have lobbied
for legislative change there based on the seeming "portability" of their
state's historic grave yards.
It is a pretty sad statement as to the moral fabric of this nation that we cease to
respect the final rest of the pioneer citizens of our states and country. Where would we
all be had they not come before?
Thanks for your story. I'll be curious to know if the Court rules against the Church.
I doubt it will.
Regards,
Sue Silver
----- Original Message -----
From: George Graham
To: 'Sue Silver '
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 8:47 AM
Subject: RE: Flags removed from cemetery
Hi thanks for your note. I am curious how you came upon the story from California...
To respond to your question, the diocese took over maintenance of the cemetery at the
request of St. Mary ChurcH which had less stringent rules.
- George Graham
-----Original Message-----
From: Sue Silver
To: ggraham(a)union-news.com
Cc: William Spurlock; nchistoric(a)infostations.com; CEMETERY-L(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: 8/30/02 11:01 AM
Subject: Flags removed from cemetery
Mr. Graham,
In California, the Court has previously ruled that the State has no say
in the rules and regulations of cemeteries owned and operated by
religious entities.
I don't know about Massachusetts cemetery law, but California has
completely exempted them from state regulation and oversight. As a
result, these religious cemeteries pretty much have carte blanc over
what happens within them.
In the instance of the Catholic Church, we have found the Church has
abandoned dozens of historic Catholic cemeteries in the Mother Lode gold
rush region. Other Catholic cemeteries have been given over to public
cemetery districts, with the Church having walked away from them. I
just don't under that attitude.
Now your cemetery story says the Church recently took over the
maintenance. Who was doing it before? If the cemetery is Catholic and
always has been, why is the Church only now becoming involved?
While I understand the Church's assertion it needs to do this to help
ease maintenance, one might wonder if the historicity of the artifacts
they intend on removing might not be of more significance than the
Church's need to maintenance ease.
It has long been a tradition in this nation to honor the graves of
deceased soldiers and veterans. The symbolism of this act acknowledges
that our very freedom is beholden to their efforts. Part of that
freedom comes with the price that our religious organizations be allowed
to function without government interference.
It is this balance, I believe, that will ultimately result in the Court
rejecting the present petition to enjoin the Church from removal of the
flags. Sad that two such worthy causes - burial of the dead and care of
cemeteries, and respect for veterans - must be pitted against one
another.
Sue Silver, Asst State Coordinator
California Saving Graves
ssilver1951(a)jps.net <mailto:ssilver1951@jps.net>
Website:
www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state/
<
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state/>
Flags removed from cemetery
Friday, August 30, 2002
By GEORGE GRAHAM
WESTFIELD - Workers from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
began
removing American flags from the graves of veterans at St. Mary
Cemetery this week.
Peter Vickery, a lawyer representing veterans who want the flags left
on the graves, filed an
emergency petition with the state Supreme Judicial Court yesterday
seeking to restore an
injunction prohibiting the diocese from removing the flags and
flagholders.
"This is really devastating," Larry Black Wolf, a Westfield veteran,
said yesterday. "Where is
the justice system when we need it? Something is terribly wrong here,
and we are trying to
rectify it."
Black Wolf said the flag removal is especially jarring because it
comes so close to Sept. 11.
The diocese's action follows a state Appeals Court judge's decision
earlier this month to
vacate Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis' preliminary
injunction prohibiting
the diocese from removing the flags.
Joseph M. Kostek, director of cemeteries for the diocese, said
yesterday it will take about
two weeks to remove the flags and flagholders.
Vickery of Amherst said he hopes to get a hearing scheduled next week
with the Supreme
Judicial Court.
"We have to show there are exceptional circumstances and that we don't
have any
alternative," Vickery said.
The dispute over the flags, which began in the spring, pits veterans
who have long
displayed American flags over veterans' graves all season long at the
Southampton Road
cemetery against the Springfield diocese. The diocese took over
maintenance of the
cemetery in March and is seeking to limit the time and manner in which
the flags may be
flown.
Veterans are fearful that the flagholders, which bear information
relevant to each person
commemorated, will get jumbled or lost, Vickery said.
Some of the flagholders are very old and commemorate Civil War
veterans, Vickery said.
But Kostek said yesterday the diocese is carefully mapping out the
1,600 sites where
veterans are buried and tagging each of the flagholders so each can be
returned to the
proper grave.
"We want to do it very systematically and be fair to everybody,"
Kostek said. "We want to
honor the veterans."
The diocese will inform the veterans in writing that the flags and
flagholders are being
taken down, Kostek said.
The veterans, Kostek said, will have the option of storing the flags
and flagholders on
cemetery premises or elsewhere.
Under diocese rules, which are imposed on all the cemeteries that the
diocese maintains,
flags and their holders will be allowed on veterans' graves for one
week before and one
week after Memorial Day and Veterans Day. George Graham can be reached
at
ggraham(a)union-news.com <mailto:ggraham@union-news.com>
© 2002 UNION-NEWS. Used with permission.