On holy ground: St. Patrick Parish celebrates rededication of cemetery chapel

Madison-area Catholics stand outside the recently restored St. Patrick Cemetery chapel during the ­rededication ceremony and All Souls Day Mass on Nov. 2. The original crucifix, which is being restored in Cleveland, was donated to the parish by Mary Prenatt in the early 1900s.

By Michael Moore and Mary Ann Wyand

MADISON—St. Patrick Parish’s historic and recently restored cemetery chapel was rededicated on All Souls Day with a standing-room-only crowd on hand for the celebration.

Father John Meyer, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Madison, celebrated Mass in the chapel on Nov. 2 with about 50 parishioners and guests.

Walking in a circle around the chapel, which is ringed by the graves of former priests, Father Meyer blessed each guest, the graves of their ancestors and the chapel.

Parishioners literally stood on the shoulders of the founding fathers of the parish during the Memorial Mass because the bodies of Father Hyppolytus Dupontavice and Father Joseph Pettit are interred beneath the chapel floor.

During the dedication program after the liturgy, Camille Fife, president of the Westerly Group, which coordinated the restoration work, said historical records indicate that in May 1874 the line of mourners stretched all the way to downtown Madison for Father Dupontavice’s funeral.

John Stacier, executive director of Historic Madison Inc., praised Geoff and Josie Fox, who donated funds and led the effort to restore the chapel even though they now live in San Jose, Calif.

“I was drawn into the [chapel restoration] project, as many of you have been, through Josie and Geoff’s love of this community,” Stacier said, “and their interest in preserving this very special part, not only in Madison history, but in our parish history.

“Today we gather to celebrate the amazing rehabilitation of St. Patrick’s Cemetery Chapel,” he said. “Built in 1874, this small yet well-designed structure is the focal point of this historic cemetery. Created as a resting place for the remains of those who have completed their labors in this life, it remains for the living a symbol of our faith and a touchstone of our shared architectural heritage. It is no accident that venerable places like the chapel exist in our community. Wrought by skilled hands in stone, brick, wood and plaster, the chapel was created to withstand the ravages of time and the tempests of nature.”

But over the years, Stacier said, nature did take its toll on the chapel.

“Several years ago, the fate of the chapel seemed uncertain when a miracle occurred,” he said. “Josie and Geoff Fox, all the way from California, offered to support the rehabilitation of this marvelous building. Not only that, but they explored its history, … found the craftspeople to make this [restoration] a reality and photographed the rebirth of this sacred place.”

Stacier said it is a rarity to encounter “two such devoted and passionate preservationists.”

Madison Mayor Al Huntington also offered his thanks and praise for the restoration work that saved the chapel, which he called “the keystone” of the parish cemetery.

“Cemeteries tell a story,” the mayor said. “When you walk through and look at the names, you can imagine the history of some of the lives that are buried here. I also think about the strength of our Catholic community and how strong it has been from our past. Members have played such an important part, not only in the church, but [also] in leadership roles in the community. You can see that by looking at the names on the [cemetery] markers. So it is a very important part of our heritage, … of our history.”

Huntington also presented a city plaque to Geoff and Josie Fox, who are members of St. Christopher Parish in San Jose, in recognition of and appreciation for their significant contribution to preserving part of historic Madison.

Dave Dionne, chairman of the Prince of Peace Catholic Cemeteries Committee, noted that the chapel has been standing for more than 100 years, but desperately needed structural repairs.

Josie Fox said when she was a child in Muncie, Ind., her mother would bring her to Madison to visit her grandparents, John and Josephine Steinberger, at their

two-story farmhouse near the cemetery.

“In those early days, I observed close-hand the spirit of this community and the special effort of the parishioners at St. Patrick’s Church among the farmers that were here,” she said. “At that time, probably one-third of the community was still farming. That took place, as you know, up here on the hill. … I will never forget it.”

Her family would attend Mass at St. Patrick Church, she said, and her grandmother would sing and play the organ. After Mass, they would visit the graves of relatives at the cemetery.

“I could see the expression in my grandmother’s, my mother’s and my aunt’s faces as they observed the chapel,” she said. “It is such a sacred building, and they were concerned that it [would] survive for future generations. I have had the privilege of trying to make that happen.”

(Michael Moore is a member of Prince of Peace Parish in Madison.) †