By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
A terracotta Madonna bas-relief stands in a chapel at Our Lady of Mercy cemetery in Doral.
Terracotta Madonna faces visitors at Our Lady of Mercy Chapel, part of Our Lady of Mercy cemetery in Doral.
Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery is 120 acres of trees, lawns, plots and mausoleums in Doral.
Nearly life-size bronze crucifixion scene stands at the entrance to Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery.
The original sculpture at the entrance of Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery has been moved farther onto the grounds.
Granite statue of the Holy Family greets visitors at the northern end of Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery. Behind them is a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The third-century St. Barbara is memorialized in this statue. The palm frond indicates her death as a martyr.
Someone placed a flower in the hand of a Sacred Heart statue at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery.
Sacred Heart statue stretches his arms at the Christ the King Fountain at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery, Doral.
A delicate angel statuette watches over a gravestone at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery, Doral.
Two women cradle the body of Jesus in this unusual Pieta at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery, Doral.
A gold-crowned Mary blesses the Resurrection Complex at Our Lady of Mercy in Doral. The statue was a gift from a member of Our Lady of Lebanon, a Maronite parish in Coral Gables.
St. Joseph statue stands in a hallway at Our Lady Queen of Heaven. He is often shown holding a carpenter's square.
Mary statue cradles the baby Jesus in a hallway at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
Christ the King statuette stands in a showcase at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
Queenly Mary and Christ statuette stands in a showcase at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
Mary and the baby Jesus share a tender moment in this disc at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
Simple abstract sculpture at Our Lady Queen of Heaven marks a memorial for children killed by abortion.
Memorial plaque at Our Lady Queen of Heaven is in front of the memorial sculpture for children killed by abortion.
Bas-relief of Jesus guards a bronze door at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
An angelic figure descends in this statuette at Our Lady Queen of Heaven. A family commissioned the piece when their daughter died in an accident. The inscription says, "Always With Us -- His Child, Our Artist."
Close up of angelic figure statuette at Our Lady Queen of Heaven, commissioned by a family whose daughter died in an accident.
"Follow Me" is the title of an eight-foot-tall statue of Jesus at Our Lady Queen of Heaven. Another copy of the statue is at Our Lady of Mercy in Doral.
Close up of "Follow Me," an eight-foot-tall statue of Jesus at Our Lady Queen of Heaven. Another copy of the statue is at Our Lady of Mercy in Doral.
Bas-relief shows Jesus conquering Death at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
Bronze bas-relief depicts the Descent from the Cross at Our Lady Queen of Heaven. But the tragic scene is moderated by a quote from St. John Paul II.
An unusual cross design at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.
Photography: JIM DAVIS
MIAMI | The Archdiocese of Miami's two Catholic cemeteries are more than 120 acres each of grass and trees and graves. They also showcase artworks — statues, mosaics, bas-reliefs, stained-glass windows — offering visions of the hope of eternal life.
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
Two women cradle the body of Jesus in this unusual Pieta at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery, Doral.
Last year, in this space, we showcased the dramatic mosaics that are part of that artwork. This year, the photo album contains images of the various statues that adorn the cemeteries' grounds and buildings.
Traditionally in the Catholic Church, November is the month of All Souls. The month begins with All Saints Day, Nov. 1, which honors those who have attained heaven. On All Souls Day, Nov. 2, the faithful pray for God's mercy for deceased loved ones, that their time in purgatory may be shortened and that they too may be purified and reach heaven.
Honoring the deceased has a long history, both among Christians and others. Benedictine monasteries did so in the sixth century. St. Isidore followed suit in the seventh century.
Liege, Belgium, was the first diocese to adopt the custom, around the turn of the first millennium. During the same period, St. Odilo of Cluny established Nov. 2 as the main day to honor the dead in his monasteries.
Some non-Catholics, including those in Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches, likewise hold prayers for the deceased. And some societies have turned the observance into a cultural event, such as the Japanese Bon Festival, the Chinese Ghost Festival, and the Day of the Dead in Spanish-speaking countries.
The Church honors this long tradition by having bishops consecrate plots of ground especially for Catholic burial. When a parishioner chooses to be buried there, “it's an outward sign of faith, even in death,” said Mary Jo Frick, executive director of Catholic Cemeteries.
She added that a Catholic cemetery is one of the few places a Mass can be celebrated besides a Catholic church.
Due to COVID-19, this year's All Souls Day Mass, scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, will be livestreamed. The celebrant will be Archbishop Thomas Wenski. Click here for the link to view it.
