145 Unclaimed Bodies Laid to Rest in Archdiocese of Detroit

The seventh corporal work of mercy is to bury the dead.  Usually, we fulfill that work by attending a funeral liturgy and praying for the deceased.  We help a bereaved friend or loved one who is grieving, listening to her stories and drying her tears, helping her to find peace and to pass through the emotional turmoil of loss.

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, though, the command has taken on added significance this week as 145 unclaimed bodies have been laid to rest at Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Brownstown Township.  The burial was planned by a coalition which included the Michigan Funeral Director Association chapters from Wayne and Oakland counties; the Jewish Fund; the Archdiocese of Detroit; and other volunteers and sponsoring businesses and organizations.

The corpses had been stored at the Wayne County Morgue–some of them for years, and some without the knowledge of family members.  Some of the deceased remained in storage because the identity of next of kin was unknown.

Rev. Louis Prues, pastor of Detroit’s Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, said at the interfaith service, “It is a day of remembrance; it is a day of closure.”  Rev. Prues acknowledged that every person has value and called it a tragedy to be forgotten in death; and he joined with other clergy in promising that the oversight will never happen again in Detroit.

Our Lady of Hope Cemetery is the resting place of my own parents.  It’s owned by the Archdiocese of Detroit and managed by Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services (CFCS).

According to a press release from the Archdiocese of Detroit:

Of the remains laid to rest at Our Lady of Hope, 135 were full burials in caskets; 10 were burials of cremated remains. An upright, granite grave marker — which will be donated by Inch Memorials in Northville and installed this fall — will be inscribed with the names of those buried. 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.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.