“… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
3620 Tilden Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11203
The small group of Catholic laity that petitioned the Bishop of New York for “a church, a Pastor and a place for interment” in 1822, did not foresee the enormous in crease of the Catholic population in the old city of Brooklyn.
Having used St. James Cemetery for twenty-six years until its available land was exhausted and the much smaller St. Paul’s Graveyard on Congress Street and the Catholic section of the Wallabout or Canton Street Cemetery (near the present St. Michael-St. Edward Church), Bishop John Hughes of New York found it imperative that he purchase land for a diocesan cemetery to serve the parishes of Brooklyn.
Since the City of New York (then consisting of only Manhattan) forbade any more burials within its limits due to the cholera epidemic, Bishop Hughes purchased from James and Mary Duffy, a portion of the old Van Brunt farm in the town of Flatbush, at the geographical center of Kings County, in June of 1849, and the first burial took place on July 13, 1849 in what is known as Holy Cross Cemetery.
Once Bishop John Loughlin came to Brooklyn as its first Diocesan Bishop in the fall of 1853, he showed great interest in enlarging the cemetery property and in erecting the Chapel of the Resurrection in 1855. In the catacombs beneath the Chapel are interred some of the pioneer priests of the diocese and in the sections near the Chapel can be found the graves of some of Brooklyn’s oldest Catholic families.
Subsequent land purchases enlarged Holy Cross Cemetery to a total of ninety-six acres and, in 2007, Holy Cross Cemetery was transferred from the Diocese of Brooklyn to Saint John’s Cemetery Corporation to enhance the supervision and operation of the cemetery. The Saint John’s Cemetery Corporation was created in 1872 by a special act of the New York State Legislature at the request of the first Bishop of Brooklyn, Bishop John Loughlin, for the newly established St. John Cemetery located in Middle Village, NY. Today it owns and operates all the cemeteries for families of the Brooklyn Diocese.
The following religious congregations have their community resting places within Holy Cross Cemetery and we thank them for their years of prayerful and sacrificial service to the local church:
- De la Salle Christian Brothers
- Franciscan Brothers
- Franciscan Sisters of the Poor
- Little Sisters of the Poor
- Nursing Sisters of the Sick Poor
- Sacred Heart Society of Jesus & Mary
- Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood
- Sisters of Charity of Mt. St. Vincent
- Sisters of the Good Shepherd
- Sisters of Mary of Bethlehem
- Sisters of Mercy
- Sisters of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
- Sisters of the third order of St. Francis
- Visitation Nuns
Daily and Special Masses
Mass intentions are offered daily for the souls of all who are interred in our cemeteries.
Special Field Masses are celebrated at our Cemeteries on Memorial Day and All Souls Day.
Holy Cross Cemetery Map
Driving Directions to Holy Cross Cemetery
Southern State Parkway West to Belt Parkway West to exit 11N (Flatbush Ave north). Take Flatbush Ave north (approx. 10 minutes) veer right to Brooklyn Ave. Take Brooklyn Ave. to the intersection of Brooklyn and Tilden Ave. Main entrance is on your right.
Take Manhattan Bridge onto Flatbush Ave. extension. Continue straight to and around Grand Army Plaza and continue through Prospect Park to Flatbush Ave. Take Flatbush Ave. to Beverly Road and make left, take to the end, which is Brooklyn Ave., and make left, go one block to Tilden Ave. and make a right, into Cemetery.
Whitestone Bridge and Throgs Neck Bridge to the Cross Island Parkway South, to the Belt Parkway West or Triborough Bridge to the Van Wyck Expressway South, to the Belt Parkway West. Then take Belt Parkway West to exit 11N (Flatbush Ave. North). Follow Souther State Parkway West directions above.
From South Central N.J. – Take I-95 North to exit 10 Metuchen (rt. 440). Follow signs to 440 Verrazano Bridge. Take upper level of Verrazano and stay in left lane while on bridge to easily exit onto Belt Parkway Eastern Long Island. Follow directions from the Bronx above.
George Washington Bridge onto Cross the Bronx Expressway and follow signs to Throgs Neck Bridge. On bridge take exit for Cross Island Parkway to Southern State/Belt Parkway West. Follow directions from the Bronx above.
I-95 South into New York. Follow New England thruway South (95) to exit for Throgs Neck Expressway (Rt. 695). Follow signs for Throgs Neck Bridge. Follow directions from the Bronx above.
