Update on Sacred Heart Cemetery 1/8/23

Dear Sacred Heart Parish Family,

Over the summer we began a process of clearing land around our cemetery with two goals, one, to clean up the perimeter and two, to determine if there were any lost or overgrown graves. As we began the clean up our landscaping crew immediately encountered dozens of tombstones. In consultation with Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese we contracted with a firm to conduct a ground penetrating radar survey of this cleared land to confirm the presence of burials, in addition we asked the surveyors to check the old section of the cemetery next to the chapel, the area around the grotto, and the lower ball field.

All of the stones our landscapers had discovered were confirmed to mark burials. The survey also revealed a large number of probable unmarked graves in the area behind the chapel and in the cleared areas around the cemetery’s edge, totaling about 140. The survey of the area around the grotto and ball field did not find graves, but possible remains of old structures.

With these results, the Archdiocese connected us with an archaeologist at The Catholic University of America, Dr. Laura Masur, who has been researching the Jesuit plantations in Maryland, of which Sacred Heart was one. You may have read about her in the Catholic Standard over the summer for her work in southern Maryland. Dr. Masur and her students have begun the process of mapping and documenting the graves already discovered.

However, it is now clear there are many more graves, much further into the woods than previously thought. There may be several hundred more burials located on the hillside from the edge of the cemetery down to route 450. Most are marked with rocks or tombstones, though, as we have seen there is a possibility of more unmarked burials. Based on historical records available of who should be buried here, we are confident that a large number of these burials are of African Americans, with many being of those who were enslaved here at Whitemarsh plantation during the Jesuit period.

We have spent the past few months consulting with Archdiocesan leadership, Catholic Cemeteries, Dr. Masur and other experts, our parish history committee, and descendants of those who were enslaved and buried here. We believe it to be an important act of justice and an essential corporal work of mercy to do our best to care for these burials now that they have been rediscovered.

The next step is to determine the scale of the cemetery that has overgrown and to then have an archaeological survey completed. This will be followed up with an additional ground penetrating radar survey. Once we have a clear picture of the size of the cemetery, we can discern the best path forward for maintaining these graves and preventing future overgrowth, and on how to properly honor and memorialize these brothers and sisters in Christ.

In order to perform this necessary archaeological survey we need to clear a substantial amount of brush, trash, vines, thorn bushes, and other debris from the hillside. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 16) Dr. Masur and a group of 50 students from Catholic University will come to rake the hillside clean and flag any visible grave markers.

This is a large project and not possible to complete in just one day and so we need your help. First, we need your help assisting and hosting these students on Monday 16th. Second, we will be doing some additional landscaping work the Saturday before (January 14th). Volunteers are needed to work with our landscaper (Al Gauthier, a parishioner here at Sacred Heart), to clear downed trees, thorn buses, trash, and debris, that could slow down Monday’s efforts. We will also be in need of additional landscaping equipment, parishioners certified in first aid, and those willing to help offer hospitality to the CUA students. A sign-up form will be going out to the parish Sunday (1/8) afternoon via Flocknote detailing help we need.

All of this is just the beginning. The work to properly honor these people buried on our hillside will not be done in just a weekend, so there will be many other opportunities for you to lend a hand. We must add that financial contributions are appreciated to defer the costs especially of equipment and professional labor. Going forward there will be avenues of grant funding and funds from other sources we will investigate. If you feel you may have any skills or interests that may help us in some capacity, please reach out to one of us or to the chair of our history committee Rob Hayes.

This great act of mercy and justice will bring honor and dignity to those buried on our grounds and add an important chapter to our parish’s history. Please pray for these efforts and lend a hand when and how you are able.

Thank you and God bless,

Fr. Potts and Fr. Russo

Volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050445AAAC29A1FC1-sacred