On August 1, 1860, Father Corry, founder and first pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, purchased the first ten acres of land for a parish cemetery. It was laid out in small lots, and its first interment took place on September 5, 1860. In 1869, another ten acre field was purchased, and in 1922 twenty more acres of land were purchased and a new road was constructed for its entrance. In 2005 the first above-ground crypt was erected in a new section for mausoleums.

In 1924, after the establishment of the Church of St. Joseph (1915) and the Church of the Holy Spirit (1922), it was decided to change the name of St. John’s Cemetery to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, welcoming other parishes to bury there dead there.

The cemetery is elevated 312 feet above the Hudson River and has gentle slopes to the north and south, providing an unsurpassed view. Facing east one sees the broad green fields of Rensselaer County with the Berkshire Mountains in the distance. Looking to the south, one sees the beautiful Catskill Mountains rising above the Hudson River. Looking to the west, there is a view of the City of Rensselaer with the Empire State Plaza in Albany on the skyline. The cities of Troy, Watervliet and Cohoes are visible in the view to the north of the cemetery.

The first rays of the morning sun kiss the face of the crucified Christ at the cemetery’s highest point, and the setting sun casts its long shadow of Christ’s cross over the graves of our beloved dead, which include all the Religious Sisters of Mercy from this region.

Each year on Memorial Day about 300 of the faithful gather at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine to celebrate the Eucharist. Daily dozens of visitors arrive to pray at the grave of loved ones. You are most welcome to visit this “holy ground” anytime. Holy Sepulchre Cemetery is accessible twenty-four hours of the day, seven days of the week.

For directions or any other information concerning the cemetery, simply call the parish office at (518) 465-0482, extension 11.