Detroit Archbishop to Bless Grave Marker for Unclaimed Bodies from Wayne County Morgue News Release
Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, will bless a granite monument marking the grave sites of 145 bodies that had gone unclaimed from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. The bodies were buried this summer at Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Brownstown Township following an interfaith memorial service on July 9. The upright, polished black monument is inscribed with the names of those buried. It was donated from Inch Memorials in Northville. This Sunday marks the Feast of All Souls in the Catholic Church, a day dedicated to prayer and remembrance for the dead. Bishop Francis Reiss, an assistant bishop in the Detroit Archdiocese, will preside at a Sunday liturgy at the cemetery at 10 a.m., prior to the monument blessing. The efforts to secure final resting places for the remains of the individuals came cooperatively from the Michigan Funeral Director Association chapters from Wayne and Oakland counties; the Jewish Fund; the Archdiocese of Detroit; and a coalition of volunteers and sponsoring businesses and organizations.Of the remains laid to rest at Our Lady of Hope, 135 were full burials in caskets; 10 were burials of cremated remains. An additional 13 bodies from the Wayne County morgue were buried with military honors at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.Our Lady of Hope Cemetery is at 18303 Allen Road, between Pennsylvania and Sibley roads. The cemetery is owned by the Archdiocese of Detroit and managed by Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services (CFCS). The graves are to the right-hand side of the cemetery’s main entrance, in Section 1. Those wishing to visit the cemetery and pay their respects can call Our Lady of Hope at (734) 285-2155 for further directions and information. n/a
