Attending Memorial Day Mass at Assumption Cemetery in Glenwood is an annual tradition for Donna Work.
“We go from cemetery to cemetery cleaning the graves and sprucing them up. We call it our cemetery crawl today,” said Work, who lives in Homewood. “This is the way we start it out.”
Following Mass, she and her husband planned to visit her parents’ graves and then drive to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery to visit the grave of another family member. They started their “crawl” the day before in Peotone, where her husband’s family is buried.
“We’ve been coming for years. I just love it,” Work said. “My mom used to just be so lifted up and would feel so good. And to see all of these people here and everyone going to their gravesites, it’s just heartwarming.”
She and her husband joined about 200 people on Memorial Day May 26 for the annual Mass to pray for peace and to honor those who served the country and remember the fallen.
The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Cemeteries hosted field Masses at 21 cemeteries throughout Cook and Lake counties. Active members of the military and veterans received a special blessing during the liturgies, followed by the playing of “Taps.”
Augustinian Bishop Daniel Turley celebrated Mass at Assumption Cemetery, and afterward blessed the graves of Pope Leo XIV’s parents, who are buried there.
Sitting in a folding chair under the shade of a tree, Eileen Luehrs said the Memorial Day field Mass is also a tradition for her. Luehrs’ father, who was a veteran of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, is buried at Assumption.
“It’s a beautiful way to honor the veterans,” Luehrs said with emotion in her voice. “And it’s the place everyone should go to pray for peace.”
Army veteran James Vallone also became emotional when sharing what makes the Memorial Day Mass special.
“I come to honor them and to pray for them,” the Our Lady of the Heights’ parishioner said of the military members who died in service to the country. “They are floating around up there someplace. They can always use the prayers.”