The Healing Journey

Linda spends her mornings walking through the cemetery, looking at historic gravestones, visiting deceased family members, and waiting for that still small voice of God to direct her to certain headstones, where she feels inspired to say a prayer.

A member of St. John Church in Darien and a lifelong Stamford resident, she has pursued her ministry at Queen of Peace and St. John Cemeteries.

“I have always liked cemeteries,” she says. “And after my son Mark died on July 23, 2016, I started to really spend time exploring them.”

She sets out early in the morning for her walk and stops to say hello to the maintenance crews, pauses to pray, or to tidy up a neglected grave and examine historical details on a monument.

“As I walk around, I look at the graves and say, ‘I know them and I know them,’” she said. “We pass by the police officer section, and it’s like visiting old friends, and I’ll say hi and make the Sign of the Cross and say, ‘I hope you’re resting in peace.’ I feel close to them all.”

For Linda, the cemetery is a special place, a deeply spiritual place.

“I look around and realize that all those people had lives … maybe not all of them had children or siblings, but they all had a mother and a father, and they had lives,” she said. “It’s very humbling. We will all be there someday, so we should respect them.”

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Cherish those we have lost, hold them close to your heart, and take time to visit them in their final resting place.