Beneath the rustling leaves of ancient trees, a silent city unfolds. This is Mount Saint Mary Cemetery, a place where stories of lives lived echo among the tombstones. Mount Saint Mary Cemetery began its life in 1862. The trustees of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Flushing needed more burial space. They purchased six acres of land along North Hempstead Turnpike, now Booth Memorial Avenue. The cemetery was originally intended for the parish. But it soon expanded to 55 acres, serving Catholics from Queens and Brooklyn. Today, Mount Saint Mary Cemetery still serves the community. It handles about 1,000 interments each year.
The procession for the cemetery’s consecration in 1863 must have been a sight to behold. Children from St. Michael’s Catholic Schools, dressed in blue and white, marched the two miles to the cemetery grounds. They were joined by members of the St. Vincent de Paul and St. Michael’s Benevolent Societies. Imagine the solemn hymns and the hushed reverence as Bishop Loughlin blessed the grounds. This place has witnessed history unfold, both grand and tragic.
Mount Saint Mary Cemetery is the final resting place for an estimated 80,000 souls. Among them are U.S. congressmen and the notorious mobster Louis DiBono. Punk rock fans might visit the graves of Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan of the New York Dolls. Bishop Edmund J. Reilly, a Queens native, also rests here. The cemetery holds stories of profound loss, like that of the Fliss family. In 1930, a devastating fire claimed the lives of the father, mother, and their four children. All six were laid to rest at Mount Saint Mary’s. More recently, the cemetery became the final resting place for Cesar Borja, a retired NYPD officer. Borja died from a lung ailment attributed to his service at the World Trade Center site after 9/11. His story serves as a somber reminder of the lasting impact of that tragic day. Mount Saint Mary Cemetery offers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of human experience. It is a place of reflection, remembrance, and the quiet dignity of lives lived.