PROVIDENCE — The Catholic Cemetery Conference held its 75th Anniversary Convention & Exposition in Providence from Sept. 30-Oct. 3, at the Omni Hotels & Resort.
About 225 attendees participated from across the country. They toured two historic cemeteries in the Diocese of Providence: St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston, where they viewed the recently completed Mausoleum of Saints Peter & Paul, a highlight of the tour, and St. Francis Cemetery in Pawtucket. The group also visited the diocese-owned Aldrich Mansion, Warwick, along with its chapel, boathouse and grounds on Narragansett Bay.
The Catholic Keynote Session on Oct. 2, featured Jon Leonetti discussing the “Christian Perspective on Business, Hope and Purpose.” Leonetti is a radio host and the author of several books including “Your God is Too Boring” and “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Holiness.”
Additional speakers included Barbara Kemmis, executive director of the Cremation Association of North America; Ashlinn Goodman, director of sales and operations for Envision Strategy Partners; Poul Lemasters of Lemasters Consulting; Honnalora Hubbard, regional sales manager with Coldspring; and Megan Anderson, general manager of Holly Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Thomasville, North Carolina.
There was also an “Ask the Experts” panel discussion featuring Hubbard, Lemasters, and Lori and John Bolton of Park Lawn Corp., along with Rev. Michael Barone, chaplain of Holy Cross Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey.
A unique event taking place each morning was the “Sunrise Walk,” in which attendees participated in a “fun and invigorating walk while sharing stories, learning from each other, and watching the sunrise” over Providence. For every 500 steps walked, $1 was donated to “A Wish Come True” (www.awish.org), a Rhode Island-based organization that grants wishes to critically ill children.
“It was a complete honor to be asked to do this, and it’s the pinnacle of my career so far,” said Diocesan Cemeteries Director Anthony Carpinello, CCCE, CCE, who noted that it’s been 20 years since the last national Catholic Cemetery Conference was held in Providence.
“I think we’ve raised the bar past where it was before and I’m so honored to have my mentors here with me. It really has meant the world to me.”
Carpinello said staging the event was a real team effort and he’s proud of the efforts all staff made to showcase the diocese.
“If you’re getting compliments from the Archdiocese of Chicago, you’re doing something right,” he said.
Founded in 1949 as the National Catholic Cemetery Conference, the Catholic Cemetery Conference is dedicated to the guiding principle that burial of the dead is one of the corporal works of mercy. The Conference includes among its members representatives from nearly 150 dioceses in 46 states, five Canadian provinces, and overseas territories.
Next year’s event will take place in Anaheim, California.
