A deeply shaded and peaceful place of rest for the living and dead alike.
It was rush hour. I was hungry and a bit tired and cranky. So I told Google Maps to find me the closest cemetery. Boy, was I glad it was this one!
The St. Martins Abbey Cemetery in Lacey, WA is one of the prettiest cemeteries I’ve seen in a long time. Lush green grass flawlessly trimmed around nearly identical headstones. A gleaming Calvary Monument glowing despite deep shade. A beautiful brick walkway. An atmosphere of deep care and peace behind a lovely contemporary metal gate.
I must note the two musical metal angels on the gate. Their eyes, fashioned from metal disks, have that peculiar quality of following you wherever you go. As a child, I had once been thoroughly creeped out by a spooky painting in a museum that did this, and I’ve always been just a bit wary of statues and paintings with that effect. Here, though, these angels seemed to have a mirthful expression instead of a deadly serious one, and I was considerably cheered by that.
First things first: snack and water. Then I grabbed my camera and went in through the man gate.
The cemetery is for deceased confreres (members of the Abbey). Most headstones had a lovely tree-and-branch motif on them. Potted flowers dotted the grounds with colors here and there. One contemporary Father had been gifted a box of cigars (and yes, there was one and a half cigars still in the box). A small woodshed-like structure tidily housed additional headstones. (Is that pessimistic or optimistic, or just practical? I vote for practical.)
Near the headstone shelter, a large stone statue of Jesus lay on the ground, which had been carefully removed from a nearby plinth. (I assume it had been replaced by the current statue in the Calvary Monument.) I am always sad to see statues of Jesus, Mary or angels missing fingers or other body parts. Nonetheless Jesus and I held hands, and it was a nice moment. I rarely get to touch Jesus’s (or Mary’s, or an angel’s) hand because the statues are always mounted out of the reach of vandals and short people like me. I felt like I could offer Him a moment of friendliness or comfort in his toppled state. Seeing Him reclining on the ground reminded me that Jesus presumably put his pants on one leg at a time like other mortals.
I was intrigued by some less common names on the headstones: Boniface, Hieronymous, Meinrad, Placidus, Udalricus, Wolfgangus, Ignatz, Ludovicus, Justinus, Alcuin, Ansgar. Some may be German, based on what I’ve read of the history of the Abbey. I’ve often thought that if you are a writer looking for unusual character names, Findagrave is the place to look!
Not being Catholic myself, I was interested in the unfamiliar abbreviations on the headstones, which mark the key milestones in the life of a member of a religious order. Here’s what I learned,
- A Father is an ordained Catholic priest who can administer the sacraments and lead a parish
- An oblate is typically a layperson (or a non-priest religious brother) affiliated with a monastery or religious order who lives by its rule while remaining in secular society
- NAT or NATUS: Born – Followed by his birth date
- PROF (short for Professus): Professed – The date he made his final or first religious profession (took his solemn vows) in his religious order
- OBIIT (often misspelled or varied as Obt.): Died – Followed by the date of his death
- REVMUS. ET AMPLUS. O. O. – the Latin phrase Reverendus et Amplus Omnium Ordinum which translates to “The Reverend and Illustrious/Esteemed [Father] of all orders/ranks”
- REVMUS: Short for Reverendus (The Reverend / Revered)
- ET AMPLUS: Meaning “and ample,” which in a formal ecclesiastical context means “illustrious,” “distinguished,” or “magnificent”
- O. O.: Typically an abbreviation for Omnium Ordinum (of all orders, referring to clerical standing
- OSB: Ordinis Sancti Benedicti, which is Latin for Order of St. Benedict
- Abbas : Latin word for Abbot (which literally means “father”, derived from the Aramaic abba)
- SACERDOS: Means “Priest” (indicating the status or the date he was ordained into the holy priesthood)
- REV P. L. A. H. : Reverend, then likely initials for a middle or first name, or for a specific local church or fraternal organization.
For more fun: Abbreviations Found on Headstones
There is no real parking at the cemetery; I parked as far off the road as possible. During off hours, a yellow metal gate at the entrance to Desmond Drive may be closed, but the cemetery is within sight of the gate.
The St. Martins Abbey Cemetery is a place of peace, spirit and nature. Enjoy, and be respectful of this lovely space.
Stump and Lamb explores personal growth and meaning via travels to pioneer cemeteries of the West.
This post was originally published at michellerau.com.
michelle rau 