On November 18, 2017, Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Klamath Falls, Oregon provided a final resting place for 148 abandoned or unclaimed cremains. A year earlier, cemetery leaders learned that approximately 30 sets of cremains that have been stored at a local funeral home. The Board of Directors and employees of Mt. Calvary voted unanimously to dedicated a portion of the cemetery as a Potter’s Field to allow these cremains to receive a proper burial. Everyone involved with Mt. Calvary sees their activities as a ministry exercising the Corporal Work of Mercy to ‘Bury the Dead.’ After contacting a second funeral home about the Potter’s Field, both funeral homes identified 148 sets of cremains that were abandoned or unclaimed.
In a moving ceremony, an estimated 160 people attended the dedication of the Potter’s Field and burial. Being that there were 11 veterans among the cremains, the ceremony started with Military Honors being rendered by the combined Veterans of Foreign Wars and Marine Corps League Color Guard. Following Military Honors, Father Shiju presided over the Catholic Rite of Christian Burial and was assisted by Father Francis Obijekwu of St. Augustine Church.
The internment of the cremains was assisted by the Knights of Columbus, Civic Leaders, including Mayor Carol Westfall and Faith Community Leaders. The desire was to make the day a community as well and an ecumenical event to promote unity among the Klamath Falls Christian community in the burial of our brothers and sisters. There has been every indication that this was accomplished. Feedback has been extremely positive with most people saying how wonderful it was to see community leaders and Pastors from different Christian Churches come together to pay final respects for the abandoned and unclaimed cremains. There were 15 below ground ossuaries in place to receive 10 sets of cremains each. In a very reverent fashion 15 Pastors and community leaders was invited to read 10 names, lower them into the ossuary and offer a prayer. It was truly a moving process that expressed everyone’s respect and desire to provide a proper burial for these brothers and sisters.
