“I am the Resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26a)

One of our great privileges as a faith community is to provide a tranquil and beautiful resting place for those parishioners who choose to be interred in our cemetery. The effort to establish a parish cemetery dates back to 1901, when a Lincoln Avenue farmer named Joe Arata donated a horse to be raffled off, with the proceeds going toward the purchase of property! Ten acres of land would ultimately be purchased on Lakeland Avenue, south of Sunrise Highway, for $90 an acre. Once the land had been secured, three parishioners spent many afternoons clearing it of trees, rocks and debris.

The first person to be interred in the cemetery was Mrs. Emma Kennedy, the wife of the owner of the Sayville Hotel; she was buried in 1915. Since then, there have been over 5,000 burials. The cemetery has two specially dedicated sections: one for cremains, in the northwest corner; and another reserved for the burial of infants, in the southwest corner. This latter section, used for the first time in 1959, is the resting place for over 110 babies from our parish.

In 1989, a handsome new entrance gateway was constructed on Lakeland Avenue. The road through this gateway leads to a circle at the center of the property, from which a large crucifix looks over the graves of our deceased loved ones. A great deal of effort has been made in recent years, under the guidance of Mr. Christopher Koch, our Cemetery Director, to further beautify the cemetery with new plantings, trees, benches, and signage. Two recent additions are statues of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and of St. Joseph and the child Jesus—both obtained from the property of the former Ursuline Motherhouse in nearby Blue Point.

Care of the cemetery has also evolved over the years. In the early days, graves were tended by individual families, who would mow the grass, and plant trees and flowers. Today, deed holders pay for “perpetual care” when they purchase burial rights. A trust fund has been established to ensure the proper care of all the gravesites in perpetuity. St. Lawrence the Martyr Cemetery is part of the Diocesan Cemetery System, and is administered by Mr. George Ferrer. For more information, please contact the Cemetery Office, at (631) 589-0042 x 120. The cemetery address is 401 Lakeland Ave., Sayville, N.Y. 11782.

As believers in the promise of eternal life in company with the risen Christ and all God’s holy ones, it is both a priority for us and a great privilege to maintain this holy ground—a place where family and friends can find solace and reassurance until that day when we hope to be reunited with all those we have loved and lost.

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. And may their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.