Mount St. Patrick Cemetery ceremonial boulder (Photo: Submitted)
A 162 year-old Belleville cemetery will receive a special tribute this Sunday.
Mount St. Patrick Cemetery served the community of Belleville from 1856 to 1914.
St. Michael’s church bought the more than four acres of land on what is now Stanley Street.
While it was dedicated to St. Patrick, it was commonly referred to as St. Michael’s Cemetery.
Eventually land for the grave sites was running out and St. James cemetery was opened in 1904. The last burial at Mount St. Patrick was recorded on January 20, 1914.
The cemetery became overgrown in brush, and many stones were damaged.
In recent years, many people have been caring for it, but there are Belleville residents who are not aware it is a cemetery, fenced behind a chemical plant and near the rail yards.
The St. James Cemetery board and the Hastings County Historical Society have decided to erect a memorial boulder to identify the grounds.
This Sunday, the cemetery will be re-dedicated and the memorial boulder unveiled.
