Saginaw, Mich., Nov 7, 2019 / 15:01 pm
On Saturday Bishop Robert Gruss of Saginaw said a Mass of All Souls' Day for 175 people whose mortal frames had been unclaimed, and which were then buried at one of the diocese's cemeteries.
"The Church invites us to pray in a very special way, give alms and do works of penance for all the deceased, for our loved ones and friends, but also for all those who have died whom we have never known. There are many who have no one to pray for them," Bishop Gruss preached during the Nov. 2 Mass at Calvary Cemetery in Kawkawlin, Mich., about 20 miles north of Saginaw.
"This is why we gather today in this special way for this memorial service for these unclaimed cremains. These individuals have no one to pray for them. They have not received a burial proper to their human dignity. But we will doing this today, giving these men, women and children a proper burial."
The cremated bodies of 175 people were entombed in a crypt at the cemetery. Their remains had been in a county medical examiner's office or funeral homes, and while some of the people had died quite recently, the oldest remains were of someone who died in 1972. Among those whose remains were entombed were 13 veterans, and military honors were presented by the Bay County Veterans Council Honor Guard.