ROCKAWAY Over the years, St. Patrick Cemetery here, in the Hibernia section, has been neglected. In 1910, St. Patrick Church, which maintained the cemetery, burned down and was never rebuilt. It was founded in 1865, reached parish status in 1881 and was closed in 1928. Hibernia is a Latin word that means Ireland. St. Patrick’s was the parish church of Irish and Hungarian immigrants who worked in the surrounding mines of the N.J. Iron Mining Company atop Upper Hibernia. The cemetery was established in 1869.
More than a century later, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (FSSP) in Morris County are honoring these ancestors, who are buried in the cemetery, by cleaning it up and performing a partial restoration. The project is envisioned to be a multi-step and ongoing commitment by the FSSP. About 30 members began the cleanup last Saturday, April 22, in the light rain hiking about a half mile through the woods. In the past, the Rockaway Historical Society and local Boy Scouts troops have supported clean-up efforts for the cemetery.
Mike Bannon, a member of the FSSP and parishioner of St. Virgil Parish in Morris Plains, said, “The Friendly Sons are embarking on a journey, not to escape the (Great) Famine (in 1845) but to provide a little honor and dignity to those who did. We are part of the reason those immigrants came here (to the U.S.). They came for their children’s children. We are their legacy and it is our turn to give a little bit back.”
More than 400 graves are in the two-acre cemetery, with most of the headstones broken or missing. About 40 headstones remain giving a small clue as to some of the deceased, showing Irish and Hungarian names and birthplaces. As generations passed, nature took over and sometimes vandals destroyed property. Superstorm Sandy in 2011 also took its toll on the cemetery. Many who hike through Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management area, where the cemetery is located, could literally walk right past it without knowing a cemetery was there. The property of St. Patrick Cemetery is owned by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Boonton. St. Patrick’s was a mission to OLMC.
Bishop Rodimer wrote about the cemetery in The Beacon, for his column on Sept. 3, 1981 around what would have been St. Patrick Church’s 100th anniversary. His grandmother lived in Hibernia and recalled spending many summers in the area. He wrote: “St. Patrick’s Cemetery is still to be seen. It is a forlorn spot. It was still beautiful when I visited with my grandmother when I was a boy. My great-grandparents and some of their children are buried there as are relatives of many others who are still alive today.”
Similar to Bishop Rodimer, many of the FSSP also have relatives including Bannon, who has an aunt and uncle who passed away as children and are buried in St. Patrick’s. Because of this, Bannon feels especially close to the project. “It was gratifying to give back to those who have gone before us,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t know a lot about our ancestors, but they lived to give us a better life.”
In the fall, the FSSP plans to return to the cemetery for another cleanup and will continue to maintain the cemetery bi-annually. According to its website, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick is a social organization of men of Irish ancestry and affinity. The purpose of this association is to provide an opportunity for its members to meet in a spirit of comradeship for the common purpose of promoting, cultivating, celebrating and preserving interest in Irish arts, literature, history and culture.
“The enthusiasm we received from our brother Friendly Sons has been almost overwhelming,” said Bannon. “We get so caught up in today but we can’t forget to preserve the past. If we don’t, history could be lost and we need to past history on.”
[Information: www.irishsons.com.]