Holy Sepulchre Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery of the

Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 and ...

, located in the village of

Alsip, Illinois Alsip is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,063 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Alsip was settled in the 1830s by German and Dutch farmers. The village is named after Frank Al ...

, in Worth Township, southwest of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Cemetery grounds

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery is the westernmost of ten cemeteries in a two mile radius in and near the Mount Greenwood neighborhood of Chicago. The large number of cemeteries was the basis for the fictitious "Seven Holy Tombs" area in several books by author

John R. Powers John R. Powers (November 30, 1945 – January 17, 2013) was an American novelist and playwright. Early life Powers grew up in the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood on the far southwest side of Chicago. He held a Ph.D. in Communications from Northw ...

. As is typical of the area, the cemetery is bordered on all sides by major roads and is surrounded by commercial and residential zones. Mausoleum of the archangels (RickDrew)

Its most prominent feature is the Mausoleum of the Archangels. Dedicated by

Cardinal Bernardin Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death in 1996 fro ...

in 1993, the Mausoleum features life-size statues of the

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...

s Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Each statue sits in the midst of a small park-like setting, with private seating areas and marble lined halls. This type of mausoleum is also known as a "garden crypt". Unlike the more traditional mausoleum layout, the burial vaults are in the exterior walls, thus eliminating interior corridors.

Burial practices

The headstones in the newer areas lie flat (known as "lawn level markers") to facilitate mowing and groundskeeping. It is possible to have upright markers for family plots, but this requires purchasing multiple gravesites and using a single, larger marker. The older areas have upright headstones that run the gamut from typical markers to fanciful and artistic. There are also some mausoleums for above-ground interments.

History

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery was consecrated on July 4, 1923, on the site of the Worth racetrack, which was demolished in 1911. Between 1911 and 1923 the site was used for state militia training and stockades. The first burial was on July 5, 1923.

Notable interments

Dawn Brancheau Dawn Therese Brancheau ( LoVerde, April 16, 1969 – February 24, 2010) was an American senior animal trainer at SeaWorld. She worked with orcas at SeaWorld Orlando for fifteen years, including a leading role in revamping the ''Shamu (SeaWo ...

(1969–2010), animal trainer at

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(1877–1934), U.S. politician *

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(1876–1952),

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Richard J. Daley Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...

(1902–1976), Mayor of Chicago from 1955 to 1976 *

Kevin Hickey Kevin John Hickey (February 25, 1956 – May 16, 2012) was an American left-handed pitcher who spent six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Chicago White Sox (1981–1983) and Baltimore Orioles (1989–1991). It was with the White S ...

(1956-2012), Chicago White Sox player *

Ralph Metcalfe Ralph Harold Metcalfe Sr. (May 29, 1910 – October 10, 1978) was an American track and field sprinter and politician. He jointly held the world record in the 100-meter dash and placed second in that event in two Olympics, first to Eddie Tola ...

(1910–1978), U.S. Congressman, four-time Olympic medalist *

Helen Morgan Helen Morgan may refer to: *Helen Morgan (singer) Helen Morgan (née Riggins; August 2, 1900 – October 9, 1941) was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage. A quintessential torch singer, she made a big splash in ...

(1900–1941), singer and actress *

John Panozzo John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx. Early life and career Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with hi ...

(1948-1996),

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

drummer and co-founder *

Pants Rowland Clarence Henry "Pants" Rowland (February 12, 1878 – May 17, 1969) was a Major League Baseball manager for the Chicago White Sox from 1915 through 1918 who went on to become a major figure in minor league baseball. He was born in Platteville, ...

(1878–1969), American baseball manager * Dan Ryan, Jr. (1894–1961), Cook County Board president

References

External links

* *
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Catholic Cemeteries of Chicago
{{Coord, 41, 41, 09, N, 87, 46, 09, W, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-IL Roman Catholic cemeteries in Illinois Cemeteries in Cook County, Illinois Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago