‘Ask Mary to Be Your Mother:’ Memorial Day Masses Highlight Mary’s Care for the Faithful
- Guest Contributor
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Erin Scherer
Mary’s Mantle of Protection
Hundreds gathered this Memorial Day at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Wheat Ridge to pray for the faithful departed, honor fallen servicemen and women and celebrate the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. At Gallagher Chapel, flags waved in the breeze and the sun shone over the cemetery grounds.
“It was a beautiful Mass this year. It was more crowded than usual,” noted Mary Pat Norick, whose brother, Father Dan Norick, concelebrated the Mass with Archbishop James Golka. “It was great to have the archbishop here!”
Given the beauty of the day, the reverence throughout the entire cemetery and the new archbishop’s celebration of the Mass, it was clear that those present were under Mary’s mantle of protection.
In his homily, the archbishop reflected on Mary’s accompaniment in moments of suffering, grief and hope.
“We have the beautiful image of Mary standing at the Cross with John, the beloved disciple,” Archbishop Golka said. “Jesus gives Mary to us. Mary is good at being a mother.”
The archbishop shared a personal story about discovering Mary’s intercession in his own life.
“I remember saying to Mary, ‘You’ve never really done much for me,’” he recalled. “And I heard her say very clearly, ‘You’ve never asked me.’ Since then, I’ve asked her plenty. She’s a very good mother.”
He encouraged those grieving to entrust themselves to her maternal care.
“If you haven’t asked her recently, ask Mary to be your mother,” he said. “Mary has a mantle of protection she wants to put over you.”
For Melanie Silva, a family service advisor at Mt. Olivet, the archbishop’s words resonated deeply.
“I’m very close to Mother Mary,” Silva shared. “I started talking to Mary and praying with Mary, and that’s changed my life. I loved hearing Archbishop Golka share how Mary changed his life, too. I felt very connected with him in that way.”
(Photos courtesy of Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Colorado)
Reverence, Care and Healing
Throughout the cemetery, families experienced the reverence and peace of a sacred place set apart for prayer and remembrance.
“It felt like you were in a holy place,” said Jennie Marquez, operations manager at Mt. Olivet. “People were truly present.”
A visitor whose parents and children are buried at Mt. Olivet also shared that he finds great beauty and healing at the cemetery.
Archbishop Golka also reflected on St. Joseph of Arimathea, patron saint of funeral directors, who lovingly cared for Christ’s body after the crucifixion.
“Imagine if you were given that task: to take the body of our Lord, his human body off the Cross to prepare him and place him in a tomb, not knowing that the Father’s going to raise him in three days. That’s what funeral directors do every day,” he said. “We treat bodies with dignity and respect, as if they are Jesus.”
Gary Schaaf, executive director of Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services Colorado, echoed that call to accompaniment.
“What a privilege it is to get to take care of people who are walking through the loss of a loved one,” Schaaf said. “Like it was for St. Joseph of Arimathea, what a privilege it is to take care of people who are made in God’s image and likeness.”
Sacrifice and Peacekeeping
The day also carried the solemn significance of Memorial Day. Families paused to honor those who gave their lives in military service.
“I’m always caught off guard by the enormity of the sacrifice our service members made for this country,” said Sarah Schumacher, Mt. Olivet’s business manager. While we appreciate our freedom while enjoying burgers with our family, she said, “It’s very different driving or walking through the cemetery and seeing flags, just knowing what people are out here saying thank you for.”
Archbishop Golka shared a colonel’s perspective, who clarified for him: “I don’t see myself as a fighter. I see myself as a peacekeeper, and I see myself as a protector — and sometimes, you have to fight to protect what God has given to us so that we can have peace.”
“Thank you to all the veterans,” said Tom Scherer. “They gave a lot.”
Steve Furch, a Marine Corps veteran who attended the Mass, expressed gratitude for the services at Mt. Olivet.
“It says a lot. I have family buried here, as well as veterans I served with,” he said.
Jets flying overhead after Mass added to the day’s solemnity and gratitude.
“It’s awesome that jets fly over from the military,” said attendee Barb DiRito. “We have family here, so it’s nice to be at Mass and remember them as well.”
(Photos courtesy of Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Colorado)
St. Simeon Catholic Cemetery
At the Memorial Day Mass at St. Simeon Catholic Cemetery in Aurora, Father John Craig similarly reflected on Mary’s accompaniment through both joy and sorrow. He recalled Mary’s role in Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana as well as her presence at the foot of the Cross.
“We know that whatever we go through in our lives, she is always with us, especially on Memorial Day, for those who have gone before us,” he said.
As families entrusted their loved ones to God’s mercy, the Church’s celebration of Mary, Mother of the Church, offered a powerful reminder: no one grieves alone. Beneath Mary’s mantle on this Memorial Day, the faithful continue to find comfort, hope and accompaniment.
For more information about Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services, please visit: www.cfcscolorado.org/
