FCHSM Monument at Mt. Elliott Cemetery to honor the dead parishioners of Ste. Anne's
On Saturday, 24 July 2010, the 309th anniversary of the founding of the city of Detroit, FCHSM members gathered at Mount Elliott Cemetery in Detroit to witness the dedication and blessing by Edmond Cardinal Szoka, former Archbishop of Detroit, of a monument donated by FCHSM to commemorate and honor all the dead from the Church of Ste. Anne de Detroit whose remains lie buried in Section A of the cemetery.
You can read more about the history of the prior burials of the parishioners and the memorial in the following article. The article was one of two articles selected as the best article of the year for 2010.
Suzanne Boivin Sommerville and Edmond Cardinal Szoka
Suzanne Boivin Sommerville watches Edmond Cardinal Szoka Blessing the FCHSM Monument
Gail Moreau-DesHarnais' photo of the memorial at Mt. Elliott Cemetery taken 24 July 2010
Loraine DiCerbo's 24 July 2010 photo of the reverse side of the memorial at Mt. Elliott Cemetery
Suzanne Boivin Sommerville ordered the flowers every year. Following is her explanation of the flowers chosen: The colors are, of course, blue and white. White carnations are sometimes called dianthus, which means flower of God, and the blue irises rightly represent the fleur de lis, emblem of France and New France, Canada, and even the modern Province of Québec where so many of our cousins live.
The delphiniums, a plant that is native to North America, remember the many Native Americans who were part of the society of Detroit and who were buried from Ste. Anne de Detroit in consecrated ground. And, finally, babies’ breath commemorates the hundreds of babies and children who died so young, innocent ones whose lives were cut short.
