Christmas wreaths memorialize loved ones, comfort the living at Mount Calvary Cemetery

Friday, Dec. 19, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — It is evident that the Advent season is here at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum with the more than 700 Christmas wreaths decorating some of the graves.

The wreath program at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery has been going on for more than five years, said John Curtice, director. The wreaths promote the cemetery’s mission to serve the living as well as the deceased, he said. “Cemeteries are not only about dying, they’re really about life – the lives of the deceased as well as those left behind; each death forges an impact on many lives.”

The evergreen wreath signifies life and immortality; its circular shape represents eternity. 

The wreaths are all natural with holly berries and the staff and volunteers attach a red velvet bow to them before placing the wreaths on the graves using three-legged stands salvaged from funeral sprays, said Curtice. “It takes about five minutes to assemble the wreaths and then a little longer to attach them. If we didn’t have volunteers, it would take the staff at least two weeks to place the wreaths because they also have other duties.”

Among those who purchased wreaths this year is Diane Chiodo, who wanted one to place on the grave of her son and husband. “The wreath is my gift to them. It’s a way to let them know I am thinking about them all the time,” said Chiodo, a Saint Patrick parishioner. “Having the people at the cemetery place the wreath on the grave is nice because if there is snow on the ground, I can’t get to their grave; it’s on a hill in a difficult location.” 

Roger Mares, a Blessed Sacrament parishioner, has volunteered for about five years placing the wreaths, he said. He initially started volunteering at the cemetery with the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, placing flags on veterans’ graves on Memorial Day. 

“It’s fun because you meet new people and it makes you feel good,” he said. “I’ve talked to the other volunteers and found out that I have common friends or that I’m in the same parish. I’ve also read some headstones and recognized names of friends and relatives, and saw some that surprised me like Etta Place; it is believed that she was a companion of the outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It can also be sad sometimes. The hardest part is finding the graves in the snow.”

Mares and his wife, Shirley, have purchased wreaths for their relatives since the program began, he said. 

This year when Shirley Ruffner called to place an order for a wreath for her parent’s’ grave, she also decided to volunteer to help place wreaths on the graves and talked her husband, Larry, into helping.

“We volunteered the day after Thanksgiving for about six hours and the weather was beautiful,” said Ruffner, a Blessed Sacrament parishioner. “Larry was excited because he put some wreaths on our relatives’ graves; my parent’s’, my aunts’ and uncles’, my grandparents’ and some of our cousins. We did 200 that day and we were lucky because the ground wasn’t frozen. We plan to volunteer again next year. It was fun and I am really glad we helped.” 

The sale of the wreaths serves as a fundraiser that helps to offset the costs of maintenance, fertilizer, fuel and equipment for the cemetery, Curtice said. “The number of wreaths we place on the graves continues to increase each year.”