Christmas Masses and Ornament Blessings Returning to Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island

Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island recently announced the return of its cherished annual in-person Christmas Ornament Masses, a decades-long tradition that brings comfort and connection to families during the holiday season. This year's Masses will be held simultaneously at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 6, at four cemetery locations Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, Queen of Peace Cemetery in Old Westbury, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Coram and Queen of All Saints Cemetery in Central Islip.

The Christmas Ornament Masses invite families to bring a cherished or specially selected Christmas ornament to hang on chapel Christmas trees as a lasting tribute to their departed loved ones. Many families choose handmade ornaments or those featuring photographs, creating deeply personal remembrances.

Hundreds of families are expected to participate in these special holiday services, which offer a meaningful way to honor and remember those who have passed.

"These Masses and the tradition of adorning our chapel Christmas trees with family ornaments provide an opportunity for families to feel close to those they've lost, especially during a season when their absence is deeply felt," said Ann Andersen, Associate Director of Administration and Customer Sales. "The ornaments transform our chapels into sacred spaces filled with love, memory and hope. It is a beautiful way to include our departed loved ones in our Christmas celebrations and to find comfort in our shared faith and community."

Following the blessing of the Christmas trees, families are invited to place their ornaments on the trees, where they will remain on display throughout the Christmas season. After the holidays, families may return to retrieve their ornaments to continue the tradition in years to come.

Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island is dedicated to meeting both the spiritual and physical needs of the more than 1.4 million Catholics across the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which encompasses Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, NY.

For more information about Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island, mass schedule and other important information, please visit www.CCLongIsland.org.

About Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island

Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island exists to meet the needs of individuals and parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY in preparation for, at the time of, and following the death of a loved one. Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island owns and operates four cemeteries across Long Island including Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Coram, Queen of All Saints Cemetery in Central Islip and Queen of Peace Cemetery in Old Westbury. At our cemeteries, we attend to both the spiritual and physical needs of the families we serve - from the physical burial of their dead to emotional support for the difficult loss of separation. We attempt to maintain a beautiful and comforting setting where a family can come to remember and memorialize their loved one. We also support parish bereavement groups for families as well as assist with a bereavement conference. Finally, we attend to financial matters to assure that funds are available to care for cemeteries now and in distant future. Most importantly we attend to spiritual needs of the families we serve. We do this through our Saturday masses and other liturgical celebrations throughout the year. Catholic cemeteries are “Sacred places” and are given a special blessing to highlight their sacred character. For more information, please visit www.CCLongIsland.org/.