Deo Gratias to 2024 (Pt. 2)

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

to all of our supporters!

An All Hallows After-Party

Photos and Comment from Fratellino:

"First Vespers was followed by some high-calorie festivities... and the evening ended with sung Compline. Now THAT was an All Hallows Eve!"

Vespers of the Dead from Megan

Thank you to Megan Palihnich for providing photos and videos of our Chorus Breviarii members (sans Brothers) singing Vespers of the Dead to gain indulgences for the souls in Purgatory at Old Calvary Cemetery.

More Scenes from Martinmas

Our photographer for our celebration of Martinmas at Walsingham Burrow, Frater Jon T. Velasco, has provided us with these images from both the Vespers service and the splendid supper, which included goose, stuffing, and spätzle, alongside other wonderful dishes!

Still more photos from 2024 to come!

Vespers at Old Calvary Cemetery 2024

A small group of Chorus Breviarii members sang Vespers of the Dead for the repose of the souls in Pioneer Park, formerly known as Calvary Catholic Cemetery, San Diego's second Catholic cemetery. Following the chanting of Vespers under the large eucalyptus trees, we processed with the crucifix down the hill to the collection of gravestones at the edge of the park overlooking Washington Street / Old Highway 80. The full story of Calvary Cemetery's abandonment is too messy to detail here, but to summarize, it appears that the Diocese under Bishop Buddy and the City of San Diego couldn't agree on who should be in charge of maintaining the cemetery following the establishment of Holy Cross. The City owned the land, but City Council expected the Diocese to maintain the grounds. Vandalism and plant overgrowth worsened over the years, and the City soon decided to take advantage of a newly-passed California law that allowed abandoned cemeteries to be converted into parks. Overall, it seems that while the individuals buried in El Campo Santo in Old Town have fallen victim to secular revelries and distorted views of the afterlife divorced from the Catholic heritage of San Diego's first cemetery, the individuals buried in Calvary Cemetery have fallen victim to apathy. There are still tacky ghost tours that occur at Pioneer Park during October and November, but because the cemetery site is located in a residential area rather than a popular tourist destination like Old Town, it's more likely for visitors to Old Calvary to be interested in physical activity or a relaxing outing, rather than ghost hunts.

For further reading, there is plenty of information online about the founding and eventual abandonment of Calvary Cemetery on various websites about San Diego's local history and unique sites.

For the holy souls buried in this park, may they find eternal rest.

Courtesy: Victoria Martino

All Hallows at the Presidio 2024 (Pt. 2)

Thank you to Mr. Sean Francis Conway for taking these wonderful photographs!