Scout repairs fallen tombstones

NORFOLK — The gravestones at the Old St. Mary’s Church cemetery in Norfolk will be brought back to the condition they deserve, thanks to the efforts of Boy Scout Daniel Moran. The 16-year-old junior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School has chosen this as his Eagle Scout project.

Moran said his objective is to lift up the stones that have fallen or are tipped over and set them upright, as they should be. “I wanted to do something along the lines that my brother did.”

A group of his fellow Troop 22 scouts, his parents, and some residents were there on Sunday for the second session of cleaning up the site. The focus was on clearing a huge tree that had fallen during the recent storm, toppling one of the stones off its base. Moran’s older brother John mapped out all the veterans’ graves in the town’s five burial grounds and placed a flag and plaque on each one for his Eagle Scout project.

Richard Byrne of the church’s cemetery committee was present, explaining the Ryan family established St. Mary’s Church in 1856 and donated the land, which is a bit down the road from the church on North Street, for a cemetery. Several Civil War veterans are among those laid to rest there. The plot, a little over an acre, is no longer an active cemetery, but a newer one is just across the road.

Byrne expressed his deep gratitude for what Moran is doing, saying, “It’s been really run down and something needed to be done.”

Also present was John Anderson, who lives next to the cemetery. “I’ve always taken an interest in this place. This is a great project.”

Pastor Bruce of St. Martin of Tours churches in Norfolk, North Canaan and Salisbury gave the project a blessing and said, “I can’t say enough about Daniel’s work.”

Christian Allyn came to help eliminate some of the invasives at the site.

Looking on was Sandy Rhodes, scout commissioner of Troop B.