Wreaths Across America Day

TOTOWA  The rain held out Dec. 14 in the skies above Holy Sepulchre Cemetery here long enough for Angelica Alva, 15, to get the honor of placing a wreath at the grave of her great-uncle, Jose Cruz of Paterson, a U.S. Army veteran who died in 2016. Afterward, Alva, of St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa, and members of her family crowded around to read Cruz’s headstone, which displays a photo of him in uniform, and his foot stone in front, which shows his military rank: SP4, a specialist.

“It felt good to put a wreath on my great-uncle’s grave,” said Alva, one of 150 students from Passaic County Technical-Vocational Schools (PCTVS) in Wayne and 100 other members of the school’s community, who laid 1,278 wreaths on the graves of veterans at Holy Sepulchre, which is operated by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day Dec. 14. This was one of numerous observances around the U.S. including events at Holy Rood Cemetery in Morristown and Our Lady of the Mountain (OLM) Parish in Long Valley. “I appreciate my great-uncle’s sacrifice for this country. It was brave of him,” Alva said.

Alva placed wreaths on graves with a friend — one of several teams of students that fanned out over the fields of graves in Holy Sepulchre’s larger, older section and its smaller, newer section across Union Avenue. They were tasked with locating the graves of veterans, as indicated by small grey foot stones a few feet in front of their headstones, and decorating them with 17-inch wreaths. They recited this dedication: “Now we lay a live balsam wreath to honor [veteran’s name], who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.” They then saluted with their hands over hearts. The cemetery might contain veterans’ graves that go back to the Civil War, said Father Peter VB Wells, director of the diocesan Cemetery Office.

“I am thrilled that you are all here today. This is a wonderful tribute to all those, who are resting here in the cemetery of Holy Sepulchre,” Father Wells, also pastor of Our Lady of the Valley and Holy Cross parishes, both in Wayne, told the crowd of more than 300 participants in attendance during the invocation. In prayer, Father Wells intoned, “May our placement of simple wreaths on their graves always remind us of their dedication, their service and their sacrifice.”

Held annually in December, National Wreaths Across America Day was designated by the U.S. Congress to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach children about the value of freedom. This year, almost 2.1 million veteran wreaths were placed on headstones at more than 2,000 participating cemeteries with the theme “Remember, Honor, and Teach.”

Participants in Totowa also included PCTVS faculty, staff and families, military veterans, and guests, who came to volunteer, said Catherine Pagano, retired educator and PCTVS’ current patriotic activities coordinator, who with Sandra Woods, the school’s communications director, and Mirian Tanis, cemetery manager and her staff, organized the school’s first-ever Wreaths Across America initiative here.

“To watch everybody here today is like, ‘Wow!’ In my 47 years in education, I have found that there is nothing more rewarding than implanting into young minds the importance of our freedoms and the importance of not forgetting,” said Pagano, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Holy Angels in Little Falls, whose father served during World War II. “I’m so grateful to God today for the weather. I knew that he would help us,” she said.

In Morris County, about 300 people came to a ceremony on Dec. 14 at OLM’s church to honor deceased veterans of Washington Township, which featured the laying of wreaths to recognize the branches of the Armed Services. Participants included police, veterans, Boy Scouts and Father Marcin Michalowski, the parish’s pastor, who gave the invocation. After, 330 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves at the five cemeteries, including OLM’s, said Kim Smith, parish secretary, who attended and has several family members as veterans. She called it “Very meaningful.”

More than 100 people attended a ceremony at Holy Rood in Morristown that included the laying of wreaths at a monument that featured a bagpipe band and “Taps” played by a trumpeter. Also participating were Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, who gave the invocation, and Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s parochial vicar, said Diana Loughman, director of Holy Rood, which is under the administration of Assumption Parish.

An army of volunteers placed wreaths on the graves of 57 veterans — from the Ameri­can Revolution to the Gulf War. Volunteers came from local organizations such as the Daughters of the Revolution, the Boy Scouts, the Girls Scouts, Assumption and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Morris County, which organized the event. The honored veterans included two of American patriot Paul Revere’s grandsons: Paul Joseph Revere and Joseph Warren Revere, who both fought for the Union during the Civil War, said Loughman, who also has veterans in her family.

“The service was a beautiful tribute to those who served and for family members of veterans,” Loughman said of Holy Rood’s second annual National Wreaths Across America ceremony.