Sacred Ground

The word Churchyard carries deep theological and cultural meaning. Historically, a churchyard is the land surrounding a church where the faithful are laid to rest—visibly reminding the living that those who have "fallen asleep in the Lord" remain part of the Church's communion.

This tradition was carried into early American life, particularly in the South, where churchyards and family plots were sacred spaces of memory, rootedness, and reverence. Before the rise of commercial cemeteries, most Southern Christians were buried on church grounds, close to the altar, among their kin. These were not merely practical burial sites—they were places where Scripture was read, hymns were sung, and generations returned to clean graves and lay flowers during Decoration Day gatherings.

To revive the term Churchyard today is to honor both the ancient Christian instinct and our Southern heritage. It speaks not only to Orthodox ecclesiology but also to the familiar vocabulary of our neighbors, especially in Alabama, who grew up tending to the graves of their loved ones in churchyards under the shade of oaks and magnolias.

As St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14:

"But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."

To name this place The Churchyard at St. Paul's Chapel is to make several theological claims:

• A place of hope, not despair – where every grave silently proclaims "Christ is risen!"
• An extension of the Church's liturgy – a sacred outdoor space where Psalms are read, memorials are offered, and the Cross presides.
• A catechesis in stone and silence – where icons, Scripture, and lovingly carved epitaphs continue to bear witness.

The term churchyard resonates with the rhythms of Orthodox life, yet also invites familiarity for those steeped in Southern Christian customs. Many in the South still gather in graveyards to share food, prayers, and memories—practices which mirror Orthodox Soul Saturdays and the Μνημόσυνο (Mnemosyno, 'memorial service'). In that sense, the churchyard becomes a place not only of grief, but of reunion, reverence, and joy.

Here, in this sacred ground beside St. Paul's Chapel, we remember our dead not as lost, but as waiting. And we await with them the Day when Christ shall raise the dead and make all things new.