The historic Brent Family Cemetery provided the backdrop for Mass for All Souls’ Day in Stafford Nov. 2.
Father Will Nyce, parochial vicar at St. William of York Church, celebrated the Mass for nearly 90 parishioners who attended in observance of the church’s recommended practice during the month of November to visit a cemetery and pray for the souls in purgatory. The Knights of Columbus Father Widmer Council provided an honor guard.
Considered among the first practicing Catholic families in Virginia, the Brents established their estate and associated cemetery in 1686 on an area of land encompassing approximately 30,000 acres between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. King James II granted the land to George Brent, the nephew of Maryland Governor Giles Brent who fled to Virginia in response to attacks on Catholics in Maryland.
Restoration efforts at the cemetery began in the late 1920s by the Catholic Women’s Club, which commissioned the bronze crucifix that stands prominently at the intersection of Richmond Highway and Telegraph Road.
In his homily, Father Nyce reflected on the Beatitudes found in Matthew’s Gospel. In particular, he mentioned how we are “blessed who mourn” the loss of our loved ones, and that our prayers and repentance can be for the sanctification of those who have died.
“It was an honor to offer Mass in this place,” Father Nyce said after the liturgy. “It just seemed right — a fitting place for the important obligation we have to pray and offer Mass for the church suffering who now can no longer pray for themselves.”
