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St. Procopius Abbey Cemetery
Although St. Procopius Abbey was founded in 1885, it was not until 1902 that a member of the community died. By that time, the Abbey, originally founded in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago’s Near West Side, had purchased land in Lisle. A number of brothers had operated a farm from 1896, and in 1901 St. Procopius College had relocated from Chicago to the newly-established college building in Lisle.
A brother-novice, Bernard Hruby, only sixteen years old, took ill and died in January 1902. He was buried to the west, in the area where Founders’ Woods has been built.
A few years later, a permanent site was selected and trees were planted demarcating the boundary for the permanent monastery cemetery, near what would become the slough (more recently called Lake St. Benedict). The remains of Br. Bernard were then transferred, and the new site was ready for the community’s next death, that of one of the monastery’s founders, Fr. Wenceslaus Kocarnik, in May 1912.
During the 1920’s, the monastic community (which had been officially transferred to Lisle in 1914) decided that the parents and unmarried siblings of monks could also, if it was desired, be buried in the Abbey cemetery.
On May 30, 1929, a massive granite cross in the center of the cemetery was dedicated. This was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hrdlicka, parents of two of the monks, Frs. Clement and Adolph.
The distinctive terrazo crosses on many of the graves were produced by Br. Procopius Koukal for several decades before his death in 1968.
In 1979-1980, the cemetery was expanded to its present size.
Of the 147 deceased monks of St. Procopius Abbey, all but three are buried in the cemetery. Fr. Ildephonse Branstetter died in Beijing and was buried there in 1945, and Fr. Ambrose Wang was buried at the Abbey’s mission in Chiayi, Taiwan, after his death in 1991 along with Fr. Alban Hrebic (2009). Commemorative stones have been placed in the Abbey cemetery for these three monks.
As well as the monks and their relatives, the cemetery contains the remains of several students of the schools, various workmen, several visiting priests, members of the Missionary Oblates of St. Scholastica, and other friends of the community.
May they rest in peace...
Cemetery Sections
The Abbey cemetery is divided in two sections with the cement cross functioning as the axis. To the right is the North (‘N’ in site designations, see below) and to the left is the South (‘S’). Individual grave sites are numbered from the cross to the outer fence lines, with the site nearest the axis being number one. Grave rows are indicated with Roman numerals beginning with the row farthest back from the cross.
For anyone visiting the cemetery and locating a particular grave, the grid system should allow easy access. For example, N-II-2, the burial site for Fr. Vitus Buresh, O.S.B., is located by looking to the right side of the cross (N), the second row from the back (II), and second grave in the row closest to the cross (2).
The Abbey’s community members may be found in the North section of the cemetery. Non-community members may be found in the South section. Community members who were abbots or bishops are buried at the foot of the cross and designated by an ‘A’ in the grid system.
Cemetery information is presented on these pages.
Abbey community members in alphabetical order
Abbey community members in chronological order of death
Non-community members in alphabetical order
Non-community members in chronological order of death
All individuals buried in the cemetery in alphabetical order
Benet Academy Cemetery
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