By Tim Lilley
The Message editor
A large crowd gathered inside the mausoleum at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville Oct. 30 for the annual All Souls Day Mass. Father Gene Schroeder, president of St. Joseph Cemetery and pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Vanderburgh County, celebrated the Mass and thanked the scores of family members and friends who attended to “take a moment to remember your loved ones and all buried here. It’s a holy place.”
Members of Knights of St. John Commandery #282 of St. Wendel Parish in St. Wendel served as the honor guard for the Mass, which included the recitation of the names of all those buried in St. Joseph Cemetery over the past year.
In his homily, Father Gene said, “Many of us have been coming to the Mass for many years. I can say that I know more people every year on the list of the deceased that we recite. As the years pass, I believe we all start to think differently about life.
“I have met many people who have been so courageous in facing death,” he added. “We must be present to everything in front of us and offer our very best. Then, we let it all go.”
Father Gene also alluded to Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
He said, “In life and in death, we belong to the Lord. None of us live as our own master. We know that, but it flies in the face of so much of today’s culture. We must live our lives trusting that God is truly making everything work out for the best.”