Calvary Cemetery

The Chapel (in the foot of section 49)

The cemetery is divided into four divisions: First Calvary which is often called “Old Calvary” located between the Long Island Expressway & Review Ave., St. Calixtus Division (south side of Greenpoint Ave.). [View the map of Old Calvary]. Second, Third and Fourth Calvary, also known as “New Calvary” are another over 200 acres of land purchased in parts by 1900 and located South-East to First Calvary. [View the map of New Calvary]. Queens Midtown Expy and Brooklyn Queens Expy separate Old and New Calvary Cemeteries. Main entrance, and Cemetery’s Office are located at Greenpoint Ave. in the mouth of Gale Ave. It gives access to sections 1-10; 44-54 and 58. Cemetery is opened daily from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

(marker shows Vincentians' grave location)

The grave of Vincentians from New England Province is in First Calvary. Twenty-five Priests who worked and lived at St Stanislaus Kostka Church, Greenpoint, Brooklyn are buried there starting 1929 with Rev. Paul Waszko CM, who was first to come to the United States in 1904, the first Vincentian pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka, the first Vice-Provincial of then Polish Vice-Province. The grave can be found in Northern range of  section 49, in the second row (behind Robert H. Noble tomb) along St. Rose Avenue from main entrance towards the chapel. Inscription on the grave stone reads: “KSIĘŻA MISJONARZE ŚW. WINCENTEGO A PAULO” (Priests of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul). [look at the location on the map ]

Confreres buried in First Calvary Cemetery:

Rev. Boleslaus BIELSKI CM (†1991)
Rev. Francis BROZEK CM (†1982)
Rev. Victor BRZOSKA CM (†1969)
Rev. Ignatius DUDZIAK CM (†1952)
Rev. Sigismund GOSK CM (†1975)
Rev. Francis HLADKI CM (†1964)
Rev. John L. JANOWSKI CM (†1951)
Rev. John T. KOWALSKI CM (†1996)
Rev. Edmund R. KOWALSKI CM (†2000)
Rev. Wiktor KOZLOWSKI CM (†1943)
Rev. Adalbert KRANZ CM (†1957))
Rev. Stephen KROL CM (†1954)
Rev. Francis KRZYZAK CM (†1983)
Rev. Augustine LEJA CM (†1949)
Rev. Joseph MIETELSKI CM (†2002)
Rev. Adam E. MINKIEL CM (†1989)
Rev. Bernard NIESLONY CM (†1955)
Rev. John E. REDZIMSKI CM (†1987)
Rev. Henry M. SAWICKI CM (†1999)
Rev. Adalbert SOJKA CM (†1994)
Rev. Edward P. SPURGIASZ CM (†1988)
Rev. Joseph STUDZINSKI CM (†1954)
Rev. Edmund TRZECIAK CM (†1970)
Rev. Paul WASZKO CM (†1929)
Rev. Ignatius S. WIECZOREK CM (†1965)

To read more about other graveyard of Vincentian community in New England go to these stories:
« They Rest In Peace… St. Michael’s Cemetery »
« Where Our Departed Confreres Rest In Peace »
« Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord… »

As soon as Fr. Sobczak opened the church for early morning Mass people started to come in and pray. Church which is usually closed between Masses stayed opened all day long. Soon after announcement of special services commemorating the tragedy more people flowed in. Some officials including Polish Consul in New York, Mrs. Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka attended the Devine Mercy Devotion dedicated to dead President of Poland and his associates. Mrs Maja Komorowska, famous Polish actress was among special attendants. All were in grief and mourning.

Special Masses dedicated to President of Poland, his wife and all  other victims of the crash will be celebrated in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY on Sunday, April 10, 2010 at 11:30 AM (in Polish) and on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM (in Polish)

Here are some links to media reports on how New Yorkers are mourning:

• Cityroom nytimes.com – “A Plane Crash in Russia Shakes Greenpoint“
• NewYorkPost.com – “‘Everyone crying’ in NY’s Little Warsaw“
• NY1.com – “Polish New Yorkers Mourn Loss Of Poland’s President“
• NewYorkDailyNews.com – “New York Polish community mourns President Lech Kaczynski and top officials who died in plane crash“
• WCBSTV.COM – “Polish Tri-Staters Mourn President’s Tragic Death“

Christa McAuliffe was the most publicized parishioner of all Vincentian parishes. The 700 household parish, one of four Catholic parishes in Concord NH was taken over by Vincentians from New England Province in September 1983.  From the moment NASA selected Christa as the winner of its Teacher-In-Space competition, she was a celebrity, a heroine. She was given a hometown parade and movie offers;  she was constantly asked to give television and radio interviews; there was a constant flow of newspaper and magazine articles about her.

A nation turned a teacher into a star not for anything she did, but for what she meant to us. The realm of outer space, once limited to daredevil astronauts with perfect physiques, had been opened to a 130-pound teacher from Concord HIgh School and St. Peter’s Parish. Her greatest athletic achievement was pitching for a championship softball team when she was a teenager.

Christa McAuliffe wasn’t the first non-astronaut to get a ticket on a shuttle flight. But she was the first ordinary “citizen astronaut”. 37 years of age, she taught social studies for 13 years and CCD 8th grade for five years at the St. Peter’s Center.

A mother of two children, she carried souvenirs for them into space: her nine year old son Scott’s stuffed frog,  Fleagle; her six year old daughter Caroline’s gold crucifix; and, not to be outdone, her attorney-husband’s class ring.

Christa was full of enthusiasm and responded graciously to her many well-wishers, hand shakers, autograph-hounds, and camera bugs. She believed one day colonies of ordinary people would live and work in orbiting space stations.

Television cameras and radio broadcasters swarmed Father Chester Mrowka CM, pastor of St. Peter’s Church, Concord,  at half-hour Memorial Service for her  at  St. Peter’s that Tuesday night.  He was driven by limousine to the University of New Hampshire for a late night television interview on CBS NIGHTWATCH;  BBC from London made a telephone radio interview; THE MCNEIL/LEHRER NEWS HOUR was televised live from the parlor as was Jane Pauley’s live interview on NBC’s TODAY SHOW.  That did not include the various local television broadcasting station plus WBZ’s Channel 4 from Boston. Photographers from JAPAN MAGAZINE and PARIS MATCH, among others, took various pictures and interviewed neighboring people.

In his Tuesday night homily, Father Chet described McAuliffe as a unique, charismatic person who dared to venture forth with optimism for the future. She was a very ebullient personality. She had a smile for everybody. She was a dedicated wife and mother. Concord is the kind of town where just about everybody knows everybody else. That’s why it hit severely hard.  She was a local celebrity.  To have this happen at a moment of exultation is belief and beyond description. There was a ghastly silence and a great numbness.

A more staid Funeral Mass was held at 11 AM on 3 February 1986, with the press relegated to the area across the street  from the church and now cameras allowed inside the church. The church was filled to capacity with relatives, business associates, and friends with personal ticket invitations only.  The names were taken from a previously prepared list for the anticipated welcoming reception.

Cardinal Bernard Law, the Archbishop of the Province of Boston and Bishop Odore Gendron, Bishop of Manchester, presided.  The main celebrant was Rev. James Leary of St. Joseph’s, Bristol, CT, a cousin of Christa.  The Master of Ceremonies was Rev.  William Helmick. Concelebrants were: Rev. Chester Mrowka CM, Pastor of St. Peter’s; Rev. Paul Bouchard and Rev. Christian, chaplains to the Cardinal; Rev. William Quirk, pastor; local clergymen, Rev. Richard Lower, Rev. Maurice, Rev. Aimee Boiselle, Rev. Daniel Messier, Rev. John Sledziona CM and Rev. Mitchell Wanat CM. The state and local government officials were headed by Governor John Sununu. (excerpts from Rev. Edward P. Gicewicz CM, Growth of the New England Province of the Congregation of the Mission 1904-2004, p. 191-192)

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