Message from the Director: |
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Remember
We welcome the month of May because it is an amazing month in so many ways. In our hemisphere, spring is in full bloom and we are witnessing again the miracle of the change of seasons. This is also the month of our Blessed Mother, with the first three weeks in Easter and the latter in Ordinary Time. Liturgical colors inform the faithful and we watch the transformation from white to green, with the former symbolizing the light that has brought joy, purity, and innocence into the world and the latter, the symbol of new life.
May brings renewal and opportunities for families to gather and remember loved ones. We celebrate First Communions and Confirmations, we celebrate moms on Mother’s Day and at the end of the month on Memorial Day, we remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice. It is often on these occasions as we celebrate with the people we love, that we remember those who made the journey with us and who were called ahead of us to their eternal home.
God has provided each of us with the wonderous opportunity to enjoy our time together, regardless of the amount we are given. Sometimes that life may only last the months in the womb of a mom and in others, a lifetime of experiences that can last a century. In either case, God gifts that life to a mother and a father and asks them to honor the gift He has given. God trusts us to live our lives by loving Him with all our hearts and minds and to love each other as we love ourselves and when this journey draws to a close, His promise of the next journey is there for each of us.
When we remember those whose earthy journey has ended, we must also remember that the new journey has just begun. Death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life, and the path to that life, through Christ, is simply LOVE.
God bless,
Andrej Lah
Director of Cemeteries
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“Pray” It Forward
In our world of constant information overload, we are bombarded with opportunities to be on the giving or receiving end of information and ideas. If we think about it, we are the potential recipients of so much information- the good info that helps us learn, the bad info that can distract us or lead us away from our goals, and lastly, the ugly information that can lead us astray toward sin. Lately, it seems that the world has gone a bit crazy and in the past few years, we have had an awful lot to deal with. Today, we can use technology and the information it provides us as a positive tool to help us draw closer to Christ.
Let’s take movies as one form of technology that can be utilized to help draw us closer to Christ. Recently, my husband and I, along with my mother, saw the movie “Fr. Stu”. It was about a young man who was a former high school football player, boxer, and longtime agnostic, who after surviving a motorcycle accident and questioning his purpose in life, realizes he was given a second chance in life to serve others, and ultimately believes that he's meant to be a Catholic priest. His life as a priest focused on serving others. He channeled the suffering and challenges faced with his debilitating disease as a way to draw closer to Christ by offering his sufferings as Christ did and using his life to glorify God. He was a “witness of suffering”, which we can exemplify in our own lives when we go through any trial or even a loss of a loved one. If we carry our crosses and sufferings as Christ did, we will feel God’s love and His strength will see us through our times of suffering and loss.
In Peace,
Kathleen G. McKiernan
Marketing and Communications Manager
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May 30, 2022
Join us for the celebration of Mass to honor those who gave their lives serving God and their country. Mass will be held at several cemetery locations. Click the button below for more details.
Masses hosted at All Souls, Calvary Cleveland, Holy Cross Akron, Holy Cross Brook Park, and Resurrection Cemeteries will be celebrated outdoors. Please bring your own seating and an umbrella in case of inclement weather. All other Masses will be celebrated indoors. The Mass at St. Mary Cemetery in Elyria will be celebrated at St. Agnes parish. The Mass at St. Mary Cemetery in Cleveland West 41st Street will be celebrated at St. Rocco parish.
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Our next Pre-Planning seminars are scheduled as follows:
- May 17, 2022 at St. Matthew Parish, Akron from 6:30-7:30 pm
- May 18, 2022 at Resurrection Cemetery, Valley City from 5:30-6:30 pm
- May 21, 2022 at Holy Cross Cemetery, Brook Park from 1:00-2:00
- June 11, 2022 at St. Joseph Cemetery, Avon from 1:00-2:00 pm
- June 15, 2022 at All Souls Cemetery, Chardon from 5:30-6:30 pm
The Catholic Cemeteries Association invites you to attend a 1-hour pre-planning seminar. These informational seminars provide an overview of the burial planning process including:
- Types of interment (full-body, cremation, and natural)
- Burial options (in-ground or above-ground)
- Memorialization options
Attendees will receive a free personal reference file and a special discount coupon.
RSVPs are appreciated. Please contact Bob DeJohn at 216-570-5839 or [email protected]
For a complete list of Pre-Planning seminars or
For more information on Pre-Planning please contact Bob DeJohn
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Grief Support Groups
In-Person and Virtual
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The Catholic Cemeteries Association will be hosting our next in-person and virtual grief support groups on Sunday, June 26th. In-person groups will meet at 3pm, and the virtual group will meet at 5pm via Zoom.
Meetings are free of charge and are open discussion format, surrounding a monthly topic or whatever is on your heart. The upcoming June 26th meeting topic will be:
“Until Death Do Us Part (Loss of a Spouse)”
Registration is open to anyone seeking bereavement support. The recent May 15th meeting topic, "Father's Day and Grief" also covered parent loss, continuing bonds, loneliness, and included a Memorial Day prayer. To read the May meeting's Grief Support handout, please click below:
We also invite you to sign up to receive our bulletin each month:
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Find Your Loved Ones Using the CCA App! |
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The CCA app has recently been updated for both iOS and Android devices. You can use the app to...
Purchase grave decorations
Navigate to graves via GPS
Find and save lists of loved ones
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Check out our podcast library at "CCAirwaves"
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Listen to our latest podcasts:
CCAirwaves has been busy! In April, we welcomed members of The Legion of Mary- Northern Ohio to return to our studio and we also welcomed CCA's Bob DeJohn to answer questions regarding pre-planning. May was introduced with Rhonda Abrams sharing her thoughts on the Mother's Day holiday and its impact on those who are grieving in any way.
Click below to listen to our most recent podcasts:
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Updated Feature at Calvary Cemetery
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We are pleased to announce the completion of the renovation of the Baby feature at Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio. The recently completed renovation project ensures that the entrance to "Our Babies" section is a beautiful and welcoming invitation to all visitors. |
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Catholic Cemeteries Association
10000 Miles Avenue
PO Box 605310
Cleveland, Ohio 44105
P: (216) 641-7575
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