CWL/OVER 55’s EXCURSION REMINDER – Wednesday 8th May
Hotel Etico, Mt Victoria.
Train from Concord West 09.02am
Strathfield, No 3 Platform 09.31 am
Returning from Mt Victoria 2 OR 3 PM
CWL TOUR OF ROOKWOOD CEMETERY
St Michael the Archangel Chapel built in 1890 in Gothic Revival Style at Rookwood Cemetery, inspired those who joined the CWL ladies on a conducted tour.
With beautiful stained-glass windows and seating for seventy it is one of the five chapels in the cemetery used for funerals. The chapel was extensively restored for its centenary in 1990. The original statue of St Michael the Archangel was replaced after a strong wind destroyed the original one. The chapel is situated in an older section of the cemetery amongst the lawns and monumental headstones.
Rookwood Cemetery is on the State Heritage Register. Formally part of Samuel Haslam’s swamp land, it is largest operating cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere.
While in the Sacred Heart Chapel Mark spoke about rites of Catholic burials and cremations and on the bus, we learnt about the mortuary train and the stations and passed old burial areas and the Vincent de Paul paupers’ graves. As part of our tour, we visited the Sisters of Charity section and left flowers and prayed at Sister Judith’s grave.
