Last year, during Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Cemetery’s 20th anniversary Mass celebration, Monsignor Gerald Lopez, Vicar General of the Diocese, asked San Bernardino Serra Club members if they could help honor the deceased priests and one bishop who are buried there.
“When we showed up, the gravestones were dirty and looked like no one had been there in a while,” said Rose Esparza, San Bernardino Serra Club President. “I asked a small group of members if they would be interested in helping my husband and I on a regular basis to do upkeep and put flowers each month.”
The cemetery, located in Colton, is the final resting place for several deceased diocesan priests and Auxiliary Bishop Dennis P. O’Niel who are buried near each other in a location of the cemetery near All Soul’s Chapel, often called Bishop’s Circle. At the annual Deceased Priests Mass, held this year on Nov. 4, attendees gather at Bishop’s Circle for prayer and blessing in honor of those buried there.
“As Serrans our focus is praying and taking care of priests and seminarians, they are very important to us,” said Esparza, who is the mother of Father Erik Esparza, JCL, diocesan Director of Priest Personnel and Pastor of the The Holy Name of Jesus parish in Redlands. “When I saw that the gravestones of our beloved priests were being neglected after all they’ve done for us, I thought we need to do something to still care for them and when I mentioned it to a few members, they thought it was something we could do and should do.”
The group of eight regular Serra Club volunteers trade off visiting and caring for the graves every week. The first week of the month, the group cleans the headstones and once a week, they place flowers for the deceased priests.
“We clean, we visit, we pray and show our appreciation for their ‘Yes,’ ” Esparza said. “It gives us peace and fills our hearts with a deeper love for God and our faith. It’s very fulfilling for us to take care of them from this life to the next.”
If you are interested in volunteering time to care for the deceased priests’ graves, please contact Rose Esparza at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..