ROYAL PALM BEACH | “No one comes to the world alone, but many go out alone.”
With those words, Father Gabriel Ghanoum explained the need for the No One Buried Alone ministry as he gave a dignified burial Nov. 8 to 252 souls at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery in Royal Palm Beach. Nine babies were included in the cohort of cremains interred during the compassion service.
Since 2011, thousands of deceased individuals, with no known relatives or friends to handle burial, have been cremated and put to rest at the Catholic cemetery through a partnership between the Diocese of Palm Beach, the cemetery and the Palm Beach County Department of Human Services.
Regardless of religion or no particular faith at all, Father Ghanoum accepts responsibility for the body when no one else comes forward. At that point, signing the papers and accepting the remains, he becomes their adopted family.
The noontime service included readings from poetry (“In Your Blessed Hands”), the Book of Wisdom, the 23rd Psalm, Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy and Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew. Father Ghanoum, who serves at St. Jude Parish in Tequesta, spoke during his homily about Victoria Scalia, a 100-year-old woman who died in June 2011, and became his first adopted family member served by No One Buried Alone. He held a copy of her death certificate, which he found recently while cleaning.
While the names of all 252 were read, Father Ghanoum kissed each box of ashes, which he called their “coffins,” and said, “I love you.” He encouraged the 150 faithful who attended to choose one or two of the names and pray for him or her and their families going forward.
Thanking the cemetery staff, the Diocese of Palm Beach and Palm Beach County, Father Ghanoum urged everyone to “do the good, be the good and operate for the good. And if you are here today, (it is) because you are so good, but don’t make it just only one moment. Be good all the time. There is no negative side effect. ... We all are co-workers of God.”
For more information about supporting the cemetery and the No One Buried Alone ministry, visit https://ourqueen.org.
