February 22, 2025

Past week’s icy conditions impacted cemeteries and burials

REGIONAL
Staff Report

Snow and ice covered cemeteries across western Massachusetts, including Notre Dame Cemetery in South Hadley pictured above. (IObserve photo/ courtesy Brian Kennedy)

SPRINGFIELD – The icy remnants of last weekend’s snow and freezing rain storms continues to impact everyday life in western Massachusetts.  Cemeteries and burials were not exempt.

Brian Kennedy, assistant director of Diocesan Cemeteries, agrees that the unique combination of the storm followed by extreme low temperatures has posed a unique challenge reaching cemetery plots safely. His advice, “our guidance to funeral homes and parish cemeteries is to use their best judgement- everyone is uniquely staffed and laid out.”

Kennedy has heard that at a few cemeteries, conditions prevented committal rites at the grave.  A funeral on Thursday required a drive by the grave site with no one exiting their vehicles. In the case of another funeral in Hampshire county, the burial was postponed until better weather.

The diocesan cemeteries were able to provide all scheduled burials for the week.  Kennedy says they have the necessary equipment to manage even these icy conditions.

“Our crews know to prep the grounds for safety as best we can. We use mats to give traction from the hearse to the grave for the pall bearers, and extra mats around the grave site as necessary, and an abundance of salt and sand.”

But operating a cemetery in these types of conditions are not without additional expenses and hits to the budget.

He went on to say that at St. Michael’s and Gate of Heaven cemeteries in Springfield as well as St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield have the option in inclement weather to utilize the mausoleums at those sites. Other diocesan cemeteries include, St. Benedict, St. Matthew and St. Aloysius cemeteries also in Springfield, Calvary Cemetery in Holyoke, Notre Dame, Precious Blood and St. Rose cemeteries in South Hadley as well as St. Mary’s in Westfield.

It appears these conditions will soon be a distant memory as weather forecasters are calling for above average temperatures in the 40’s next week.