Holy Cross Cemetery - Detroit

Holy Cross Cemetery, one of three cemeteries owned by the Archdiocese of Detroit, has a rich yet partially undocumented history. Established in 1835 when Fr. Vincent Baden, a Redemptorist priest, blessed a mission in Dix Settlement, burials began around 1838. The earliest headstone belongs to Matilda Rupley, who passed in 1849, with many graves from this period unmarked.

Standardized recordkeeping started in 1867, influenced by post-Civil War changes and a new Michigan law securing church property ownership under Bishop Lefevere. An 1849 land transaction with Elija Chase required a chapel on the grounds, which was completed by 1851, replacing the original mission and establishing Holy Cross as a cornerstone of Detroit’s Catholic history.

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